HANUMANDHOKA ( DARBAR SQUARE), A ANCIENT PLACE

Hanuman Dhoka is the former Royal Palace of the Malla kings and sequentially of the Shah dynasty. It is several complexes connected together taking up about five acres. The eastern wing of the palace was built in the mid-16th century, and is the oldest part of the palace. It has ten courtyards. King Pratap Malla enlarged the original building in the 17th century, adding many of the temples. The oldest part of the palace is Sundari Chowk and Mohan Chowk in the north part of the palace, which are both closed. In 1768, after Prithvi Narayan Shah took over the valley he built four lookout towers in the southeast part of the palace.
The palace was last lived in by the royal family until1886, when the royal residence was moved to the Narayan Hitti Palace, in the northern part of Kathmandu. The old palace still has its ritual and ceremonial importance and the King of Nepal is crowned and other ceremonies enacted here.
Outside the palace is a stone inscription put there by Pratap Malla in 15 different languages. It is said that someone can read that milk with gush out from the middle of it.
The entrance is on the west side of the palace. Open daily except Tuesday, 10.30 am to 3 pm, 4 pm in the summer; Friday 10.30 am to 2 pm.

( Article is taken from http://www.vegetarian-restaurants.net/)

DHUM..DHUM.DHARRRRAA ..DHUM

This is a picture of Nepali Folk Instruments (Baja). It is called THOOLO NAGARA/DAMAHA/ BAJA, which is the biggest NAGARA ( instrument/ Baja) in Nepal, has been kept in infront of ancient Hanuman Dhoka Darbar Square ( it has been listed in World Heritage Content).

KAMAL'S DIARY DEDICATED TO HIS LATE FATHER

I neither can forget nor want to recall that Mansir 7. It was the day that came in to my life bringing painful moments and sat in my heart for forever.
I can’t forget naturally or intentionally to the day when my Papa was having very last moments of his life in this desert world and felt into deep sleep. I am really compelled to recall the Mansir 7 which comes every year and crumbles my heart in thousands pieces. There for neither I am satisfied by remembering the moments nor can erase it for forever.

Papa, it is 6th year of separating your life forever from us. In this period I missed you a lot… but did not try to write to your sweet and loving memory in my diary. I m really sorry Papa……, please, forgive me…., I love you so much Papa….. You abandoned us but why did you leave such sweet, beautiful and loving memory in us. I want to express you my grief that I did not get enough sweet chances to play on your lap. You just spent a few minutes with us and sat off for forever, If you had to sat off for forever why did you come in my Mum’s life? .. Why Papa? Why…..?!!

Before six year, I clearly remembered, how much happy my Mum was, she had a red marks on her forehead and sweet and lovely smile on her face. I, now days, compelled to see my mother nothing talking and playing with her deep and sweet remembrance of someone who left her alone.
You went somewhere from this Earth and you are stone hearted man Papa because you theft all of your happiness and dreams. If you were for just a very small moment, why did you come in our family as a diamond member? If you had to leave us for forever...why did you come into my innocent Mums’ life? Why did you destroy her..? Why papa? Why….?

My dear Papa,.. I have a lot of grief to you but I strongly promise that suppose if I have to face with great sorrow and misfortune in this world, I will never give any pain to my loving Mum. Papa ….. I’ll gift her by heavy bunch of happiness during her life. I try to explore her lost happiness and give her. In my life, the progresses that I will have made and the achievements that I will have achieved in future, all credits goes to you, it will be all because of your inspiration. Please Papa, always show me the good way and bless me, I always pray and wish, wherever you are now, live with happiness. All the happiness of this world is just for you….. May the happiness always follow you.

(My words
Kamal, my friend, a soft spoken, very formal, friendly, loving and having thin body has been hatching his dream and struggling here in Kathmandu. Actually, he is from far western region, Dadeldhura of Nepal.
We had never been serious since we were connected as a good friend. Usually we used to make jokes, kidding and teasing each other, funny type gossips in meeting. Although, he is not out spoken man. Neither he used to talk about his family and home nor I used to ask him about that.

Surprisingly, one day he talked about his late father and showed his diary to me. That was realy heart touching moments for both of us.
Might be our seriousness was given birth since the moments. Here, I have published what he wrote for his late father in his memory. (It was written in Nepali and Hindi language, here I have tried to translate them and will publish it in same language what he had done.)

DinWag-journalist associated with Kantipur daily

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