The best museums Kathmandu

Opened a few years ago in Kathmandu, MONA is the first museum dedicated to contemporary and traditional Nepalese art. Its mission is to showcase local artists, past and present, and raise public awareness of Nepal's rich cultural heritage and its age-old artistic practices and traditions. Located within the Kathmandu Guest House, the museum hosts permanent and temporary exhibitions. An opportunity to highlight the historical and cultural influences that have shaped Nepalese art over two millennia.

Opened just after the abolition of the monarchy - the last king, Gyanendra, left Narayanhiti on June 11, 2008 - this museum is housed in the fortified royal palace north of Durbar Marg named Narayanhiti. A composition of "Narayana" (the Hindu god Vishnu) and "Hiti", which means "water spout" in the Newar language and represents a traditional fountain. It's huge: 3,800^m2, divided into three parts: the guest wing, the state wing and the private wing.

History. Its existence at this location goes back many centuries, since in 1846 Prime Minister Fateh Jung Shah was assassinated in this palace during the Kot massacre, along with some forty civilians. In 1886, Prime Minister Rana Bir Shumsher ordered its demolition and reconstruction as the residence of King Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah, his son-in-law, moving the royal residence from Hanuman Dhoka to Durbar Square here in Narayanhiti. Damaged by the earthquake of 1934, during which two of King Tribhuvan's granddaughters died, it was renovated and a staircase added. However, King Mahendra ordered it demolished and rebuilt in 1963 by Benjamin Polk, an American architect living in India, who completed the building in 1969. A house-warming party (Griha Pravesh) took place within these walls on February 27, 1970, for the marriage of Crown Prince Birendra. In 1972, Mahendra declared the palace a royal office and bequeathed it to the Nepalese government as a dowry from his grandmother Queen Divyeshwari. On June¹, 2001, Crown Prince Dipendra murdered several members of the royal family in the palace, including King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya, before committing suicide. A tragic end.

Visit. This museum traces the history of the royal family right up to the abolition of the monarchy. The visit is long (1h30 to 2h minimum), so make sure you're in good shape: nineteen rooms used by the royal family are open to the public and feature a vast collection of exhibits. Don't miss the Gorkha Baithak throne room, with its immense chandelier, and the reception hall, with two stuffed Bengal tigers in hunting posture, killed by kings Mahendra and Birendra. Also on show: relics of the monarchy (full-length paintings of the kings and ceremonial photographs), a collection of vintage royal cars and the centerpiece: the crown jewels, on display since 2018. The tour is educational, with explanatory panels.