Narayanhiti Museum to open in 6 months

The government hopes to open the Narayanhiti Palace Museum to the public within six months if there are no more changes in the bureaucracy and the cabinet makes this a priority project, officials at the Department of Archaeology (DoA) said on Thursday.

The opening of the museum has been delayed as the government is yet to finalize a proposal on its operation and management due to frequent changes of secretary at the Ministry of Culture and State Restructuring.

Bishnu Raj Karki, Deputy Director General of DoA, said they have finalized a detailed revised proposal on the museum's management and it will be forwarded to the ministry soon for cabinet approval.

"We will be able to make necessary arrangements to open the museum to the public in four months after the cabinet endorses the proposal," he said.

The museum will showcase relics of the Shah dynasty kings in four separate buildings that lie within the premises of the former royal palace. As per the preliminary estimate, it will cost some Rs 40 million a year to run the museum.

The proposal drafted by DoA has a provision to employ in the museum 180 out of the total of 721 former Narayanhiti Royal Palace employees. They will be given necessary training before assigning them to the museum.

The revised proposal includes a detailed plan for internal and external security at the museum, ticket counters, rest houses and arrangements to provide visitors information.

"We are mulling over installing CCTVs to ensure that the items showcased in the museum are not stolen or vandalised," said Deputy Director General Karki. "All items will be labelled in detail."

Karki said that the department would launch massive publicity before formally opening the museum.

Former King Gyanendra vacated the palace on June 11 after the Constituent Assembly on May 18 declared Nepal a republic. The government had later decided to develop the palace as a museum as per public sentiment.

tags:Narayanhiti Palace,Former King Gyanendra,the kathmandu post,nepal news ,nepal travel news
source:the kathmandu post