Rana_palaces_of_Nepal

Rana palaces of Nepal

Rana palaces of Nepal

Government residences in Nepal


The Rana palaces of Nepal were built by the Rana dynasty rulers of Nepal as both private and government buildings. The Rana rule lasted for 104 years, and during that time a number of grand royal residences were built, especially by the Prime Minister, his immediate family, and other high-ranking dignitaries.

Singha Durbar

The grand palaces of Rana were called white elephants and stood at the center of vast expanses of landscaped grounds, which Rana rulers used to show their supremacy over the common people, and to please their British friends and fellow Ranas.[1] After the overthrow of the Rana Dynasty, some palaces were converted into government buildings. Others were demolished by their owners and rebuilt into libraries, museums, hotels, and heritage complexes.[2] Most palaces still in private ownership have been destroyed or lie in ruins. Most government-owned palaces have been maintained and restored.

Old Narayanhiti Palace ca.1920, demolished in 1958.
Bird's Eye view of Kathmandu North of Dharara with white Rana palaces-1950s
Seto Durbar gate in the left and Narayanhiti palace in the middle of the picture

Basic information

Most of the Rana palaces are white plastered, have been built in Neoclassical or Baroque European architectural style, and are made up of four wings with arresting French windows, Grecian columns, and a large courtyard in the middle for religious and ceremonial purposes. The internal beams and columns of these palace are made of Salla Pinus roxburghii wood.[3] Traditional mortar and white plaster, along with bricks, were used in construction. Black lentil paste, molasses, brick dust, mustard meal, and limestone powder were used in the cementing and plastering mixture. Lime-plaster (Bajra), a mixture of molasses, black pulse, jute, brick dust and lime, was the main ingredient for plaster as it had been for centuries in Nepal, primarily as it had good resistance against humidity. The floors were constructed using battens, rectangular in shape, above which planks were laid. These in turn supported the final floor, on which square-shaped slates were laid.[3] Foreign-trained Newar architects designed most of the palaces.[2]

Palaces

Rani Mahal (Ranighat Palace) in Palpa
Rani Mahal, Palpa
Lazimpat Durbar
More information Palace, Commissioned By ...

Earthquake of 2015

The earthquake of 2015 resulted in the destruction of many remaining palaces, particularly those built of mud-mortar brick and lime plaster.

See also


References

  1. Not to be confused with the better known commander of Gorkhali forces in the Gurkha War with the same name. The two Amar Singhs are differentiated by the qualifier Bada (greater) and Sanu (lesser).
  1. http://www.thetaranights.com/singha-durbar/ .thetaranights.com. 29 May 2014. Retrieved on 2015-07-27.
  2. JBR, PurushottamShamsher (2007). Ranakalin Pramukh Atihasik Darbarharu [Chief Historical Palaces of the Rana Era] (in Nepali). Vidarthi Pustak Bhandar. ISBN 978-9994611027.

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