As a schoolchild in Kathmandu, Ejen Maharjan watched in awe while his friend glided his pen in perfect curves to create ornate calligraphy in Nepalbhasa, the historical language of their people, the Newars. The friend was drawing Ranjana Lipi, which translates to “delightful script.” “I didn’t even know how to write my name in Ranjana Lipi,” Mr. Maharjan recalls. “That hit me very hard.” Today, the 23-year-old proudly dips his bamboo pen, called chosa , in blue ink to write beautiful, flowing Ranjana Lipi calligraphy, drawing thick strokes and intricate loops on paper. Mr. Maharjan is part of a group of calligraphy enthusiasts who are preserving and promoting Nepalbhasa and its writing systems across Kathmandu Valley, Nepal’s capital region in the Himalayan foothills. Why We Wrote This Some research estimates that the Nepalbhasa language could be lost in 30 to 40 years.…