Pokhara, May 29
The government has opened Ratna Mandir, a palace owned by the royal family that ruled Nepal until 2008, is open to the public from Monday onwards.
Culture and Tourism Minister Sudan Kirati and Pokhara Mayor Dhan Raj Acharya inaugurated the palace for public access on the occasion of the 15th Republic Day today.
The palace built by King Mahendra and named after his queen Ratna is located on the shore of the Phewa lake in Pokhara, Nepal’s tourism capital. Following the establishment of the republic in Nepal, the palace was taken care of by Nepal Trust.
From today onwards, the public can visit the palace with a ticket, informs Nepal Trust member Yongjom Sherpa. Photographs, however, are prohibited in the main building.
It has been several years since stakeholders began demanding the conversion of the palace into a museum like the Narayanhiti Palace in Kathmandu.
