The most popular king of All time 

The most popular king of all time, His Majesty the King Late Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev(श्री ५ महाराजधिराज  स्वर्गीय  वीरेन्द्र वीर बिक्रम शाह देव ) , the first son of His Majesty the King Late Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev(श्री ५ महाराजधिराज स्वर्गीय  महेन्द्र वीर बिक्रम शाह देव) and Her Majesty the (then) Queen Ratna Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah (श्री ५ मुमा  बडामहारानी रत्न राज्यलक्ष्मी देवी शाह ), ruled Nepal over a long period of 30 years, from 1971 AD to 2001 AD. He is regarded by the Nepalese people and many world leaders as a peace loving and democracy supporting King. His long reign of 30 years saw various political events, including the downfall of Panchayat System, installed in Nepal by his father, and also the start of the People's War, started by the Maoists on 1994 AD. He was the leader who proposed Nepal as a non-aligned state, and gained a lot of popularity all over the world for it. He was later killed on 19th Jestha 2058 BS(1st June, 2001 AD) at Narayanhiti Royal Palace, while he was celebrating "Good Friday" with his relatives. This massacre was the most mysterious massacre in history and was dubbed "Durbar Hatyakanda"(Palace Massacre). No one was able to find the culprit of the massacre, which took various lives including Her Majesty the Queen Late Aishwarya Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah(श्री ५ बडामहारानी स्वर्गीय ऐश्वर्य राज्य लक्ष्मी देवी शाह ), His Highness the Crown Prince Late Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev(श्री ५ युवराजधिराज स्वर्गीय दीपेन्द्र वीर बिक्रम शाह देव ).However, the investigation commission which included the then Speaker of Parliament Taranath Ranabhat concluded that Crown Prince Dipendra had been the culprit of the Massacre.

Even though cars were made to be driven on ground, cars were carried by the people in Nepal more than 100 years ago. Cars were only accessible to the highest part of the society: the rulers and their relatives. Cars became widely used in the public only after the advent of democracy in 2007 BS (1951 A.D) . The cars were brought from India, during which it was carried by people to transport it safely to Kathmandu. Ironic, isn't it, people carrying the thing invented to carry them?

People carrying a car to cross a river.

A BLAST FROM PAST

 Love them or hate them, but you can't ignore them. The legacy of Rana rule remains everywhere: from the imposing fade of Singha Darbar, the presence of Ranas at the top echelons of modern Nepal's business, army and police, and the Rana family tree, which is interwoven with the present members of the Shah dynasty. All this makes for fascinating history that has been documented in research papers, academic treatises, a best-selling novel and recent Rana nostalgia in architecture

Rana power transitions were messy affairs, and watching all this from the background was the British regent at Lazimpat. We see how British India tried to influence events in Kathmandu, and this has familiar echoes today. When Bir Shumshere sidelined Jagat Jung and exiled him to India, the British refused for five months to recognise Bir as leader. And when Jagat Jung began preparations to overthrow Bir Shumshere from Indian soil, the British arrested him while he was planning to march into Nepal with his armed followers. Sound familiar? 

It was perhaps inevitable that when Jung died during a hunting trip in Chitwan in 1877, his brothers immediately started squabbling for power. Jung's brother, Dhir, installed Jung's brother Rana Udip Singh as successor, while he manoeuvred to take over. Suspecting a plot, he beheaded two dozen courtiers and managed to carve out a place for himself and his 17 sons in the succession. The clan was thus effectively split between the Jung Ranas and the Shumshere Ranas. By 1885, matters reached a head again and Dhir had his six sons kill their uncle, Rana Udip Singh and remove all the descendants of Jung Bahadur's other brothers from succession. 

Chandra was succeeded by Bhim Shumshere, Joodha Shumshere, Padma Shumshere and finally, Mohun Shumshere. But time was running out, the end of Empire was near. Although they tried to modernize  Nepal with industrialization, banking, railways, urban water supply, and even a liberal constitution, it was too little too late. Mohun Shumshere had to deal with newly-independent India and grapple with democracy-minded Nepalis whose demands sounded uncannily similar to today's discourse: set up a constituent assembly and form an interim government. 

A glimpse of   Gaddi baithak 

photographed 1985 BS 

Nepal is a beautiful country with many mysterious diversities. In this Blog, we will uncover the mystery of Nepalese History with shocking reveals, stories and rare pictures.