The Narayanhiti Palace Museum ( Nepali: नारायणहिटी दरवार) is a public museum in

Kathmandu , pushpin_map = Nepal Bagmati Province#Nepal#Asia , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = Bagmati Prov ...

Nepal Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...

located east of the

Kaiser Mahal Kaiser Mahal is a Rana palace in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. The palace complex, located west of the Narayanhity Palace, was incorporated in an impressive and vast array of courtyards, gardens and buildings. History The palace complex ...

and next to

Thamel Thamel ( ne, ठमेल) is a commercial neighborhood located in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. Thamel has been the centre of the tourist industry in Kathmandu for over four decades, starting from the hippie days, when many artists came to Ne ...

. The museum was created in 2008 from the complex of the former Narayanhiti Palace (or Narayanhiti Durbar) following the 2006 revolution. Before the revolution, the palace was the residence and principal workplace of the

monarch A monarch is a head of stateWebster's II New College DictionarMonarch Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority ...

of the

Kingdom of Nepal The Kingdom of Nepal ( ne, नेपाल अधिराज्य), also known as the Gorkha Empire ( ne, गोरखा अधिराज्य) or Asal Hindustan ( ne, असल हिन्दुस्तान)(), was a Hindu king ...

, and hosted occasions of state. The existing palace complex was built by King Mahendra in 1963, and incorporates an impressive array of courtyards, gardens and buildings.

Etymology

The name, ''Narayanhiti'' is made up of two words 'Narayana' and 'Hiti'. Narayan is the Hindu god Vishnu, whose temple is opposite the palace. ''

Hiti Hiti, or Hiti-rau-mea, is a small atoll of the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia. It is located 19 km southwest of Makemo Atoll. Hiti Atoll is oval in shape. It measures 9 km in length with a maximum width of 6 km. There ar ...

'' means "water spout" in Newar Language, which is to the east of the main entrance in the precincts of the palace, a landmark that features prominently in local legends.Death of Dharmadev
by T.R. Vaidya, Contributions to Nepali Studies, Volume 8, Number 2, June 1981 (pp. 35-42), retrieved 6 December 2020

History

Early residences

Ownership of the palace site changed multiple times prior to being occupied by the monarchy.

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

Fateh Jung Shah ''Sri Chautaria'' Fateh Jang Shah ( ne, फत्तेजङ्ग शाह; 1805 – 14 September 1846) or Fatya Jang Shah, also popularly known as Fatte Jang Chautariya, was the 6th prime minister of Nepal. Early life and background Fateh Jun ...

; his father, Choutaria Pran Shah, also lived on the property. Fateh was killed in the

Kot massacre The Kot massacre ( ne, कोत पर्व) took place on 14 September 1846 when then Kaji Jang Bahadur Kunwar and his brothers killed about 30-40 civil, military officers and palace guards of the Nepalese palace court including the Prime Mi ...

on 19 September 1846 and his family was killed or exiled from Kathmandu. General Shree Prime Minister Chautariya Puskhar Shah and his family also lived in the area. The area was basically reserved for Chautariya families. The property and palace was taken over by Colonel

Ranodip Singh Kunwar Ranaudip Singh Bahadur Kunwar Ranaji (alternatively spelled Rana Uddip, Renaudip or Ranoddip), KCSI (3 April 1825 – 22 November 1885), commonly known as Ranodip Singh Kunwar ( ne, रणोद्दिप सिंह कुँवर) was th ...

, the brother of

Jung Bahadur Rana Maharaja Jung Bahadur Kunwar Ranaji, (born Bir Narsingh Kunwar ( ne, वीर नरसिंह कुँवर), 18 June 1817; popularly known as Jung Bahadur Rana (JBR, ne, जङ्गबहादुर राणा)) () belonging to the ...

, who moved into Choutaria's residence after minor renovations. After Ranodip became prime minister in 1877, the complex was renovated and expanded into a lavish multi-wing palace. Ranodip was assassinated during the

coup d'état A coup d'état (; French for 'stroke of state'), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers. Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, m ...

on 22 November 1885 in the palace's southern wing.

Royal residence

Bir Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana Commanding General Shree 3 Maharaja Sir Bir Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana (10 December 1852 – 5 March 1901) was the 11th Prime Minister of Nepal. He is remembered as a statesman who made reforms and infrastructure improvements. Bir Shamsher Jung ...

succeeded Ranodip as Prime Minister and took over the palace. In 1886, Bir Shumsher ordered the old palace demolished, and a new one constructed by architect

Jogbir Sthapit Jogbir Sthāpit ( ne, जोगवीर स्थापित) (alternative names: Joglāl Sthāpit, Bhāju Mān Sthāpit and Jogbir Nāyo) (1838–1926) was a renowned Nepalese architect best known as the designer of Narayanhiti Royal Palace an ...

as a residence for King

Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah ( ne, श्री ५ महाराजाधिराज पृथ्वी वीर विक्रम शाह देव ) (18 August 1875 – 11 December 1911) was King of Nepal from 1881 until 1911. Among the mo ...

, his son-in-law. This moved the royal residence from Hanuman Dhoka Durbar to Narayanhiti. The palace was damaged in the

1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...

, killing two infant daughters of King

Tribhuvan Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah ( ne, श्री ५ महाराजाधिराज त्रिभुवन वीर विक्रम शाह देव ) (30 June 1906 – 13 March 1955) was King of Nepal from 11 December 1911 until his ...

. Colonel Surya Jung Thapa, an engineer, oversaw repairs and renovations which added a new

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cult ...

and grand staircase. King Mahendra ordered the palace to be demolished and replaced in 1963. The new palace was designed by American architect

Benjamin Polk File:Narayanhiti Palace Museum.jpg, 280px, Narayanhity Palace Museum (formerly Narayanhity Royal Palace) in Kathmandu, Nepal Benjamin Kauffman Polk (18 May 1916 – 23 April 2001) was an American designer and architect, best known for his work ...

, who was living in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. Nepalese architecture styles were used to create a national symbol. Construction ended in 1969. ''

Griha Pravesh ''Griha Pravesh'' () is a 1979 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by Basu Bhattacharya. The film stars Sanjeev Kumar, Sharmila Tagore and Sarika. The film, about adultery, was the last of Basu Battacharya's introspective trilogy on marit ...

'' (a

housewarming party A housewarming party is a party traditionally held soon after moving into a new residence. It is an occasion for the hosts to present their new home to their friends, post-moving, and for friends to give gifts to furnish the new home. House-warm ...

) was performed on 27 February 1970 for the

wedding A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage vo ...

Crown Prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the wif ...

Birendra Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev ( ne, श्री ५ महाराजाधिराज वीरेन्द्र वीर विक्रम शाह देव ) (28 December 1945 – 1 June 2001) was the tenth Shah Ruler and the King of N ...

. Mahendra declared the palace as king office and property of the

Government of Nepal The Government of Nepal ( ne, नेपाल सरकार) is the federal executive authority of Nepal. Prior to the abolition of the Nepali monarchy in 2006 (became republic in 2008), it was officially known as His Majesty's Government. T ...

in 1972 . He claimed that the property was the

dowry A dowry is a payment, such as property or money, paid by the bride's family to the groom or his family at the time of marriage. Dowry contrasts with the related concepts of bride price and dower. While bride price or bride service is a payment b ...

of Queen Divyeshwari, his paternal grandmother. On 1 June 2001, the Crown Prince Dipendra murdered multiple members of the royal family in the palace before committing suicide. Among those killed were King

and Queen

Aishwarya Aishwarya (Devanagari : ''ऐश्वर्य'') is a Hindu Indian or Nepalese male or feminine given name, which means "prosperity" and "wealth". Notable people named Aishwarya * Aishwariyaa Bhaskaran (born 1971), Indian actress * Aishwar ...

Revolution and reuse as a museum

The Nepalese monarchy was abolished following the 2006 revolution. The last king,

Gyanendra Gyanendra Shah ( ne, ज्ञानेन्द्र शाह, born 7 July 1947) is a former monarch who was the last King of Nepal, reigning from 2001 to 2008. As a child, he was briefly king from 1950 to 1951, when his grandfather, Tribhuv ...

, vacated Narayanhiti on 11 June 2008. The former palace was used to house the new Narayanhiti Palace Museum. The royal crown jewels were put on display in October 2018. File:Old narayanhiti palace.jpg, Old Narayanhiti Palace ca 1920, demolished in 1958 File:Dhunge Dhara Hiti Pokhari, Kathmandu, Nepal Rajesh Dhungana.jpg, Legendary water spout File:Narayan Temple on Narayanhiti palace premises 01.jpg, Narayan Mandir on Narayanhiti palace premises File:Garuda of Narayan Temple on Narayanhiti palace premises.jpg, 7th Century Garuda outside Narayan Temple in Narayanhiti palace premises

Grounds

Design and layout

The current Palace was ordered to be renovated by King Mahendra under the design of American architect Benjamin Polk.

Gates and boundary walls

Courtyards and fountains

Military Barack

Helipads

Garage

Mahendra Manzil

Mahendra Manzil is the place of King Mahendra Bir Birkram Shah, the son of King Tribhuwan Bir Bikram Shah.

Hindu Temple Spire

This is the iconic central tower that rises above the palace in the front. The tower is an extension of the Hindu temple beneath it.

Garuda

The Garuda outside Narayan Mandir in the palace premises is thought to be from Licchavi Period of Nepal.

Interior

The Palace stands on the floorspace 3,794 m² (40838.28 sq ft) and is divided into three parts, the guest wing, the state wing and the private wing. Narayanhiti Palace has 52 rooms called sadan and are named after 75 Districts of Nepal. Interior of the palace is based on Late Victorian style.

Reception Hall

Reception Hall of Narayanhiti palace is named after

Kaski District Kaski District ( ne, कास्की जिल्ला, ), a part of Gandaki Province, is one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal. The name is disambiguated from Kaskikot, the ancient Kaski Kingdom. The district, with Pokhara as its d ...

as Kaski Sadan. The hall is decorated with two full size taxidermy

Bengal tiger The Bengal tiger is a population of the '' Panthera tigris tigris'' subspecies. It ranks among the biggest wild cats alive today. It is considered to belong to the world's charismatic megafauna. The tiger is estimated to have been present in ...

in charging posture hunted by King Mahendra and King

along with life-size portraits of the Shah Monarchs throughout the stairs by artist Amar Chitrakar. Gaurishankar Gate opens to Kaski Sadan and it is in Kaski Sadan where Shah Monarchs of Nepal gave audience to politicians and perform

oath Traditionally an oath (from Anglo-Saxon ', also called plight) is either a statement of fact or a promise taken by a sacrality as a sign of verity. A common legal substitute for those who conscientiously object to making sacred oaths is to ...

ceremony of

and heads of constitutional bodies for

Throne room

The throne room Gorkha Baithak is the center of the palace. It is right above Kaski Baithak. Construction of Gorkha Baithak is based on

Hindu temple A Hindu temple, or ''mandir'' or ''koil'' in Indian languages, is a house, seat and body of divinity for Hindus. It is a structure designed to bring human beings and gods together through worship, sacrifice, and devotion.; Quote: "The Hind ...

architect style with a 48 feet

Chandelier A chandelier (; also known as girandole, candelabra lamp, or least commonly suspended lights) is a branched ornamental light fixture designed to be mounted on ceilings or walls. Chandeliers are often ornate, and normally use incandescent li ...

hanging on a 60 feet high Pagoda style ceiling standing on four concrete columns representing

Nāga The Nagas (IAST: ''nāga''; Devanāgarī: नाग) are a divine, or semi-divine, race of half-human, half-serpent beings that reside in the netherworld (Patala), and can occasionally take human or part-human form, or are so depicted in art. ...

and decorated with Hindu guardian demigods the Astha Matrikas and

Ashta Bhairava Ashta Bhairavas ("Eight Bhairavas") are eight manifestations of the Hindu god Bhairava, a ferocious aspect of the god Shiva. They guard and control the eight directions. Each Bhairava has seven sub Bhairavas under him. All of the Bhairavas are rule ...

. It is under this high ceiling that the Throne of the

was placed. It is the room where the monarch, on special occasions, issued royal Royal Proclamations. To the right of the Gorkha Baithak is Dolpa Sadan, used as the room from where people (including members of the royal family) could secretly view the proceedings of the Gorkha Baithak through a one-way viewing mirror.

Court ceremonies

of the Narayanhiti durbar was where the king used to award decorations. It was used for ' and ' during ' by the royal family and for high level government and military officials.

References

{{coord, 27.7156, N, 85.3200, E, source:wikidata, display=title Rana palaces of Nepal Museums in Kathmandu Palaces in Kathmandu Royal residences in Nepal 1963 establishments in Nepal Newa architecture