Kathmandu: The private residence of the then King Birendra inside the Narayanhiti palace, ‘Shri Sadan’ will be open for observation from Sunday.
Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Bhattarai will formally inaugurate the opening of the House at 2 pm on Saturday, according to the Nrayanhiti Durbar Museum Development Committee.
Along with King Birendra, Queen Aishwarya, daughter Shruti and son Nirajan lived in Shri Sadan. Shri Sadan has been closed since the annihilation of King Birendra’s dynasty in the Durbar massacre in 2008. Though there was a plan to open the House from the Nepali New Year’s Day on April 2021, it was postponed due to corona infection and closure.
According to the committe, ‘Shri Sadan’ as well as the Republic Monument would be open for observation from Sunday. Although the Republic Monument was inaugurated by President Bidyadevi Bhandari on June 3, 2009, it has not been opened for observation.
It is said that Shri Sadan was designed by King Birendra. Built in 2023 BS, the three-storey building has 12 rooms. On the ground floor was the private office of the then King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya. The kitchen, dining room, wine bar and rest room are also on the ground floor. The then Prince Dipendra also lived on the ground floor. Dipendra had moved from the House to the Tribhuvan House as per the rules of separation after reaching old age. Then his room was empty.
On the first floor of Shri Sadan is King Birendra’s bedroom and Queen Aishwarya’s room. Rani Aishwarya’s room has a television, song cassettes and cassette player she watches.
On the second floor there are the rooms of younger son Nirajan and daughter Shruti.
The car given by Hitler as a gift to Birendra is kept in the motor garage. Similarly, the vehicles of the then kings Tribhuvan, Mahendra and Birendra will also be available for observation. There are also toy cars of Dipendra, Shruti and Nirajan. Helicopters and airplanes used by Birendra will also be available for observation.