Babar Mahal, Neoclassical palace in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Babar Mahal is a neoclassical palace in central Kathmandu, built in the Rana style with inner courtyards, gardens, and several outbuildings. The complex sits close to Singha Durbar and is visible from the road.
The palace was commissioned in the early 20th century by Chandra Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana and designed by architects Kumar and Kishor Narasingh Rana. It was part of a wider wave of Rana residences that brought European building styles to Kathmandu.
Babar Mahal now houses government offices, but its facades still show the Rana style clearly: European columns, arches, and plasterwork made by local craftsmen. Visitors walking past can read this mix of Nepali and European decorative work directly on the building's exterior.
The building is centrally located in Kathmandu and easy to reach on foot or by vehicle, as it sits along a main road. Since it functions as government offices, access inside the grounds is limited, but the outer facades are easy to see from the street.
The 2015 earthquake left visible damage across the complex, and some parts of the grounds still show traces of repair work today. This makes the site a quiet witness to one of the most destructive events in Nepal's recent history.
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