The Narayanhiti Palace Museum () is a public museum in

Kathmandu Kathmandu () is the capital and largest city of Nepal, situated in the central part of the country within the Kathmandu Valley. As per the 2021 Nepal census, it has a population of 845,767 residing in 105,649 households, with approximately 4 mi ...

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

located east of the

Kaiser Mahal Kaiser Mahal is a Rana dynasty, 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 pa ...

and next to

Thamel Thamel () is a commercial neighborhood located in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. The name comes from Tha Bahi (थ: बहि), indicating its root origin to have come from the Newa community, the indigenous people of Kathmandu Valley. Tha Bahi ...

. 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 Dictionary. "Monarch". 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 ...

of the

Kingdom of Nepal The Kingdom of Nepal was a Hindu monarchy in South Asia, founded in 1768 through the unification of Nepal, expansion of the Gorkha Kingdom. The kingdom was also known as the Gorkha Empire and was sometimes called History of Asal Hindustan, ...

, and hosted occasions of state. The existing palace complex was built by order of King

Mahendra Mahendra () is a Sanskrit compound word deriving from ''mahā'' (great) and ''indra'' (the title of the king of the devas) from Hinduism. It has been used in compound royal styles. History and politics Royalty * Mahendra or Mahinda – ...

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 Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...

, 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 are ...

'' means "water spout" in

Newar Newar (; , endonym: Newa; , Pracalit script: ), or Nepami, are primarily inhabitants in Kathmandu Valley of Nepal and its surrounding areas, and the creators of its historic heritage and civilisation. Page 15. Newars are a distinct linguisti ...

, 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 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. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

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

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

on 19 September 1846 and his family was killed or exiled from Kathmandu. Prime Minister Chautariya Pushkar 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 () was the second Prime Minister of Nepal from the Rana dynasty. ...

, the brother of

Jung Bahadur Rana Jung Bahadur Rana, , was born Bir Narsingh Kunwar (1817-1877). His mother, Ganesh Kumari, was the daughter of Kaji Nain Singh Thapa, the brother of Mukhtiyar Bhimsen Thapa from the prominent Thapa dynasty. During his lifetime, Jung Bahadur eli ...

, 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 (; ; ), or simply a coup , is typically an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership. A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to powe ...

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

Royal residence

Bir Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana Commanding General Shree 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 () (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 and renovator of the Swayambhu stupa in Kathma ...

as a residence for King Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah, 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 Nepal–Bihar earthquake strikes Nepal and Bihar with a maxi ...

, killing two infant daughters of King Tribhuvan. 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 cu ...

and grand staircase. King

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

Benjamin Polk 280px, Narayanhity Palace Museum (formerly Narayanhity Royal Palace) in Nepal.html" ;"title="Kathmandu, Nepal">Kathmandu, Nepal Benjamin Kauffman Polk (18 May 1916 – 23 April 2001) was an American designer and architect, best known for his ...

, who was living in

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

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

housewarming party A housewarming party is a party traditionally held soon after moving into a new residence. The hosts present their new home to their friends, post-moving, and for friends to give gifts to furnish the new home. House-warming parties are generall ...

) was performed on 27 February 1970 for the

wedding A wedding is a ceremony in which two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnicity, ethnicities, Race (human categorization), races, religions, Religious denomination, denominations, Cou ...

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, crown princess, is held by a woman who is heir apparent or is married to the heir apparent. ''Crown prince ...

Birendra Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev (; 29 December 1945 – 1 June 2001) was King of Nepal from 1972 until his assassination in 2001. Early life and education Birendra was born at the Narayanhiti Royal Palace in Kathmandu as the eldest son of t ...

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

Government of Nepal The Government of Nepal () is the central executive authority of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal. The government is led by the Prime Minister of Nepal, prime minister (K. P. Sharma Oli, K.P. Oli since 15 July 2024) who selects all the o ...

in 1972 . He claimed that the property was the

dowry A dowry is a payment such as land, property, money, livestock, or a commercial asset that is paid by the bride's (woman's) family to the groom (man) or his family at the time of marriage. Dowry contrasts with the related concepts of bride price ...

of Queen Divyeshwari, his paternal grandmother. On 1 June 2001, the royal massacre happened. Among those killed were King

and Queen Aishwarya.

Revolution and reuse as a museum

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

Gyanendra Gyanendra Shah (born 7 July 1947) is the final monarch of Nepal, ruled from 2001 until 2008, when the monarchy was overthrown. He briefly held the throne as a child between 1950 and 1951, when his grandfather Tribhuvan and his family fled to In ...

, vacated Narayanhiti on 11 June 2008. The former palace was used to house the new Narayanhiti Palace Museum. The royal

crown jewels Crown jewels are the objects of metalwork and jewellery in the regalia of a current or former monarchy. They are often used for the coronation of a monarch and a few other ceremonial occasions. A monarch may often be shown wearing them in portra ...

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 A Hindu temple, also known as Mandir, Devasthanam, Pura, or Kovil, is a sacred place where Hindus worship and show their devotion to deities through worship, sacrifice, and prayers. It is considered the house of the god to whom it is dedica ...

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. Some notable spots in the palace include the: * Gates and boundary walls * Courtyards and fountains * Military Barrack * Helipads * Garage Mahendra Manzil Mahendra Manzil was the palace of King Mahendra Bir Bikram 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 floor space of 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 (, ), 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 district headquarter, covers an area of 2,01 ...

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 and the nominate tiger subspecies. It ranks among the largest wild cats alive today. It is estimated to have been present in the Indian subcontinent since the Late ...

in charging posture hunted by King

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 Old English, Anglo-Saxon ', also a plight) is a utterance, statement of fact or a promise taken by a Sacred, sacrality as a sign of Truth, verity. A common legal substitute for those who object to making sacred oaths ...

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, also known as Mandir, Devasthanam, Pura, or Kovil, is a sacred place where Hindus worship and show their devotion to Hindu deities, deities through worship, sacrifice, and prayers. It is considered the house of the god to who ...

architect style with a 48 feet

Chandelier A chandelier () is an ornamental lighting device, typically with spreading branched supports for multiple lights, designed to be hung from the ceiling. Chandeliers are often ornate, and they were originally designed to hold candles, but now inca ...

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

Nāga In various Asian religious traditions, the Nāgas () 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 The Ashta Bhairavas () are the eight manifestations of the Hindu god Bhairava, a ferocious form of Shiva. They are regarded to guard and control the eight cardinal directions. Each of the Ashta Bhairavas is regarded to preside over eight subordina ...

. 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 tika and ' during

Dashain Dashain or Bada'dashain, also known as Vijaya Dashami in Sanskrit, is a Hindu religious festival in Nepal, Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam, South India, and Sri Lanka. It is also celebrated by other religions in Nepal and elsewhere, including the Lho ...

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