Narayanhiti Palace

Bagmati (Kathmandu) · Nepal · Palace

Nine of the royal family were shot dead one June evening in 2001 — and Nepalis say the palace's dead never found rest.

Many Nepalis hold that the dead of Narayanhiti never found rest. Guards and visitors speak of footsteps in empty halls and a heaviness in the air around the spot where the shots fell — and the building where the massacre itself took place was demolished, as if the ground had to be emptied.

One June evening in 2001, Crown Prince Dipendra shot dead nine members of Nepal's royal family in the palace in Kathmandu, among them his father King Birendra and his mother Queen Aishwarya, before turning the weapon on himself. The monarchy outlived the massacre by seven years; it was abolished in 2008 and the palace became a museum. Visitors are led today past the bare patch of lawn where the room once stood.

FAQ

Where is Narayanhiti Palace located?

Narayanhiti Palace is in Bagmati (Kathmandu), Nepal.