Durlav Rayamajhi
Professional Biography
Durlav Rayamajhi is an anthropologist from Nepal. Currently he is a PhD candidate in Anthropology in the School of social sciences. His PhD research project focuses on Indigenous knowledge systems, environmental ethics, resource governance, heritage, religion, and social justice in the Himalayan region of Nepal. He also has extensive experience conducting ethnographic, participatory, and qualitative research across Nepal and South Asia, contributing to projects on child labor, social inclusion, cultural heritage preservation, and renewable energy transitions. His research integrates anthropological theory with community-centered approaches, emphasizing Indigenous perspectives, complexity thinking, and applied social transformation.
Research Interests
• Indigenous knowledge systems and environmental governance
• Anthropology of religion and heritage
• Climate justice and just transitions
• Ethnography and qualitative methods
• Social inclusion, inequality and development
• Resource governance in mountain and Indigenous communities
Academic Background
Master of Arts in Anthropology, Tribhuvan University, Nepal (GPA 3.57/4.0).
Thesis: Myth, Symbols and Power: An Ethno-historic Study of the Chhatrakot Temple from Arghakhanchi District, Nepal.
Research Experience Highlights
• Principal Investigator, Heritage Documentation and Digital Archive Project (2026)
• Co-Researcher, Energy Justice in Renewable Energy Transitions Project (2026)
• International Young Professional (NOREC Exchange Programme) (2024–2025)
• Research and Documentation Officer, CLARISSA Programme (2023)
• Multiple research assistant and field research roles with Tribhuvan University, Nepal, and and other organizations.
Publications/Research Outputs
Journal Publications
Khattri, M. B., Subedi, M., Rayamajhi, D., & Gurung, B. (2024). Interview with Professor Ram Bahadur Chhetri. Dhaulagiri Journal of Sociology and Anthropology, 18(1), 62–68.
Link: https://doi.org/10.3126/dsaj.v18i01.67557
Research Papers
Aked, J., Burns, D., Bhattarai, K., Rayamajhi, D., & Timilsina, A. (2024). A Day in the Life of a Working Child in Kathmandu, Nepal: A Synthesis of 20 Stories about Children’s Days. CLARISSA Research and Evidence Paper 17. Brighton: Institute of Development Studies.
https://doi.org/10.19088/CLARISSA.2024.011
Cannon, M., Bhattarai, K., Kundu, S., Muhsina, M., Rayamajhi, D., Sayem, M., Aked, J., & Burns, D. (2024). Neighbourhoods of the Worst Forms of Child Labour: Centring Children’s Experiences and Perceptions. CLARISSA Research and Evidence Paper 19. Brighton: Institute of Development Studies.
Link: https://doi.org/10.19088/CLARISSA.2024.037
Hacker, E., Bhattarai, K., Sharma, R., Aked, J., Bhujel, S., Burns, D., Cannon, M., Deshar, L., K.C., A., Lamsal, P., Luitel, B., Malla, S., Mishra, N., Rayamajhi, D., Shakya, A., Sherpa, P., Shrestha, K., & Timilsina, A. (2024). The Drivers and Dynamics of the Worst Forms of Child Labour in Kathmandu’s Adult Entertainment Sector: A Synthesis of Five Years of Research by Children, Business Owners, NGOs, and Academics. CLARISSA Research and Evidence Paper 18. Brighton: Institute of Development Studies.
Link: https://doi.org/10.19088/CLARISSA.2024.052
Hacker, E., Bhattarai, K., Sharma, R., Aked, J., Bhujel, S., Burns, D., Cannon, M., Deshar, L., K.C., A., Lamsal, P., Luitel, B., Malla, S., Mishra, N., Rayamajhi, D., Shakya, A., Sherpa, P., Shrestha, K., & Timilsina, A. (2024). Qualitative analysis of 400 life stories from children and young people working in the worst forms of child labour in Nepal. CLARISSA Research and Evidence Paper 7. Brighton: Institute of Development Studies.
Link: https://doi.org/10.19088/CLARISSA.2024.004
Rayamajhi, D. (2022). Mandala in Newar Culture: Perceiving the Cosmos in Everyday Life. Urban Heritage Mining Blog, Heritage as Placemaking Summer School 2022.
Link: https://tinyurl.com/yz4j6ah3
Ethnographic Film
“The Gurung Death Ritual 'Arghu' (2020, June) on the death rites of Indigenous Nepali community. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEGOZRLLyVY
Books
Rayamajhi, D., & Tamang, S. (eds.) [to be submitted in 2026, manuscript complete] "जनजातित्व: राष्ट्रिय र वैश्विक दृष्टिकोण" [Indigeneity: National and global perspectives]. Center for Socio-cultural Research, Nepal.
A forthcoming book examining the meanings, origins, and theoretical foundations of indigeneity, linking global debates, international frameworks, and climate justice discourses to the lived realities and rights of Indigenous peoples.
Conference Accepted Papers/ Presentations
1. Paper Accepted at the American Anthropological Association (AAA) Conference, November 2026
My final version of the paper titled “A Conscious Approach to Anthropological Research” has been accepted for presentation at the American Anthropological Association (AAA) Conference, a widely known organization as the world's largest professional organization for anthropologists, dedicated to advancing the discipline and solving human problems.
2. Paper Presented at National Seminar on the role of research and innovations in Higher Education Institutes, Nepal, 2026
Presented the initial concept for my paper titled “A Conscious Approach to Anthropological Research” at the National seminar organized in Baglung district in Nepal on June 5-6. https://youtu.be/n86JdL1ZGS0
3. International Conference on Anthropology of Nepal and the Himalayas, organized by Central Department of Anthropology (20-21July 2025), Nepal
Presented research paper in person, “Myriads of myths: Creating and Sustaining the Structure of Power - An Ethnographic Study of Chhatra Maharaj Kot Durbar Temple from Western Nepal https://youtu.be/osTVNmJ2B6k
4. Society for Anthropology of Religion (SAR) Biannual Conference – American Anthropological Association (AAA), University of California (2025 June 21-23), United States.
Presented research paper via Zoom titled “Myriads of Myths- Creating and Sustaining the Structure of Power: An Ethnographic Study of a Hindu Temple from Western Nepal.”
5. Knowledge Co-production to Address Contemporary Challenges in the Himalayas (Multi-actor and Transdisciplinary Perspectives Cluster of Cooperation (CLOC) Network, Knowledge2Action (K2A) South Asia, Facilitated by Central Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (CDHM), TU, Nepal (2022 November 25-26)
Presented a short film and a conference note, delving into the current climate change issues and their real-world repercussions with voices from the field.
Contact and Links
University Email: d.rayamajhi@uq.edu.au
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4572-8594
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/durlav-rayamajhia7b00218b