SURESH RAJ NEUPANE
Prithvi Narayan Shah was born in the room this door leads to
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Prithvi
Narayan Shah, the founder of modern Nepal, was born in 1723 in Gorkha.
But the palace from where he led his campaign for unification is in a
state of disrepair. The royal throne and other articles of historic
significance in the Gorkha Darbar are blanketed with dust, and the path
leading to the palace is damaged. The caretakers complain that the
government has not shown any interest in preserving the palace, and
since the abolition of the monarchy has cut down the number of staff
employed for its upkeep from 114 to 56. Baikunthanath
Yogi, the priest of the Gorakhnath Temple on the palace premises,
complains that the government hasn't done anything to stop encroachment
on temple property. The 60-year-old priest's family have served the
temple for 12 generations now. Yogi himself has been serving the temple
for 40 years, yet his monthly allowance remains stuck at Rs 1,666.
Despite government apathy, over 2,000 people visit the palace on certain days, including large numbers of students.
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NHUCHHE MAN DONGOL
View of the Gorkha Darbar from an adjacent hill
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Priest of the Gorakhnath temple Baikunthanath Yogi, whose stipend hasn't gone beyond Rs 1,666 a month in years
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The courtyard in which the shrine to Gorkha Kalika Devi is located
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The throne of the founder king of Nepal, Prithvi Narayan Shah. This room is not open to the public.
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The front façade of the Gorkha Darbar, with a sign that reads 'Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal'
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