A book documenting Dalit arts and indigenous technologies was launched at the Nepal Tourism Board Hall on Saturday.

Dalits’ (Shilpees’) Glorious Arts and Artifacts Under Socio-cultural Shackles, authored by Gobinda Sarki Nepali and Indira Ghale and edited by Fraid Kalantari, draws on 35 years of research across Nepal’s diverse regions.

Authors say the work restores the community’s identity as creators and custodians of indigenous knowledge

Speaking at the event, Nepali said the work positions Dalits as inventors of Nepal’s civilisation, noting that their contributions remain unrecognised despite society’s dependence on their skills. Ghale said the book aims to drive systemic change by presenting Dalit artisans as bearers of knowledge rather than subjects of study.

Commentators at the event highlighted the book’s challenge to long-held narratives. Bidya Nath Koirala argued that the text restores the community’s identity as creators, while Sunita Sharma underscored the scientific value of the documented “native technologies”.

Organised into ten sections, the volume functions as a cultural archive, featuring hundreds of photographs of rare artefacts collected by Nepali for a dedicated museum.