Narayanhiti Palace, Royal palace museum in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Narayanhiti Palace is a museum in Kathmandu, Nepal, housed in a large neoclassical building with white columns and evenly spaced windows. Several interior courtyards connect the different wings, and manicured lawns surround the outer walls of the compound.
The site was completed in 1963 for King Mahendra and served as the official residence of the Shah dynasty until 2008. After the end of the monarchy, the government opened the palace as a museum to the public.
The name combines "Narayana", a form of Lord Vishnu, with "Hiti", meaning water spout, referring to an ancient fountain that once stood near this site. Visitors walk through private chambers that the royal family once occupied, now open rooms filled with furniture and personal objects left behind after 2008.
The museum is open from Thursday to Monday in the late morning and early afternoon. Visitors should plan enough time to explore the many rooms and outdoor areas.
One room holds a golden carriage that Queen Elizabeth II presented to King Mahendra in 1961. The vehicle was never used on Nepali roads and remains a rare example of British gifts to Asian monarchs.
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