Curate the visual history of Nepal

Dashain over the years

Monish Singh

Narayanhiti Palace: A Glimpse into Nepal’s Royal Past

Narayanhiti Palace is more than just a historical building; it holds stories of Nepal’s royal past, political changes, family traditions, and events that shaped the nation. Its history goes back to the early days of the Narayanhiti area, passing through the Rana period and eventually becoming the principal residence of the Shah royal family. Over the years, the palace witnessed the rise and fall of powerful rulers, changes in its architecture, and some of the most significant moments in Nepal’s history, including the tragic Royal Massacre of 2001. With the end of the monarchy in 2008, the palace began a new chapter as a public museum, allowing people to explore the rooms, belongings, and spaces that were once part of royal life. Through this collection,we bring together the history of Narayanhiti Palace, from its origins and transformations to the events that took place within its walls.

Pragati Baral

Yenyā Punhi (Indra Jatra)

Indra Jātrā (Nepal Bhasa: 𑐂𑐣𑑂𑐡𑑂𑐬 𑐖𑐵𑐟𑑂𑐬𑐵), also known as Yenyā Punhi (Nepal Bhasa: 𑐫𑐾𑑃𑐫𑐵𑑅 𑐥𑐸𑐴𑑂𑐣𑐶), is the biggest religious street festival in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. The celebrations consist of two events, Indra Jātrā and Kumāri Jātrā. Indra Jātrā is marked by masked dances of deities and demons, displays of sacred images, and tableaus in honor of the deity Indra, the king of heaven. Kumāri Jātrā is the chariot procession of the living goddess Kumari. The festival is also observed in other cities of the Kathmandu Valley, including Bhaktapur[1][2] and Patan, although the traditions, rituals, processions, and local customs differ from those of Kathmandu. In Bhaktapur, the festival has its own distinctive traditions and is locally observed as part of the city's broader cycle of annual religious festivals. A smaller Yenya Punhi festival is held in Khokana, where a ceremonial pole is erected and statues of Indra as Khun Dhyo.[3] The festival is celebrated during Yenla (येँला), the eleventh month of the Nepal Sambat calendar. In Nepal Bhasa, the full-moon day is known as Punhi (पुन्हि). The full moon of Yenla is therefore called Yenya Punhi (येँयाः पुन्हि), literally referring to the full-moon day (Punhi) of Yenla. The name Yenya is derived from Yenla, the month during which the festival is celebrated. Family members deceased in the past year are also remembered during the festival. The main venue of the festival is Kathmandu Durbar Square. The celebrations last for eight days from the 12th day of the bright fortnight to the 4th day of the dark fortnight of Yanlā (ञला), the eleventh month in the lunar Nepal Era calendar. Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indra_Jatra

Monish Singh

Students at Durbar High School

Saroja Hakuduwal

Bhaktapur During Early 50s

Saroja Hakuduwal

Pokhara

Pokhara (Nepali: पोखरा [ˈpokʰʌɾa]) is a metropolitan city located in central Nepal, which serves as the capital of Gandaki Province. Named the country's "capital of tourism"[4] it is the second largest city after Kathmandu, with 600,051 inhabitants living in 120,594 households as of 2021 census.[3] Pokhara is located 200 kilometres (120 miles) west of the capital, Kathmandu, on the shore of Phewa Lake, and sits at an average elevation of approximately 822 m above sea level.[5] The Annapurna Range, with three out of the ten highest peaks in the world—Dhaulagiri, Annapurna I and Manaslu—is within 15–35 mi (24–56 km) aerial range from the valley.[6][7] In 2024, Pokhara was declared as the tourism capital of Nepal,[8][9][10] being a base for trekkers undertaking the Annapurna Circuit through the Annapurna Conservation Area region[11] of the Annapurna ranges in the Himalayas. The city is also home to many of the elite Gurkha soldiers, soldiers native to South Asia of Nepalese nationality recruited for the British Army, Nepalese Army, Indian Army, Gurkha Contingent Singapore, Gurkha Reserve Unit Brunei, UN peacekeeping forces and in war zones around the world.[12]

Monish Singh

Himalayas

The Himalayas,[b] or Himalaya,[c] is a mountain range in Asia separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the highest peaks on Earth, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than 100 peaks exceeding elevations of 7,200 metres (23,600 feet) above sea level lie in the Himalayas. The Himalayas span five countries: Nepal, India, China, Bhutan, and Pakistan. The sovereignty of the range in the Kashmir region is disputed among India, Pakistan, and China.[5] The Himalayan range is bordered on the northwest by the Karakoram and Hindu Kush ranges, on the north by the Tibetan Plateau, and on the south by the Indo-Gangetic Plain. Some of the world's major rivers, the Indus, the Ganges, and the Tsangpo–Brahmaputra, rise in the vicinity of the Himalayas, and their combined drainage basin is home to some 600 million people; 53 million people live in the Himalayas.[6] The Himalayas have profoundly shaped the cultures of South Asia and Tibet. Many Himalayan peaks are sacred in Hinduism and Buddhism. The summits of several are off-limits to climbers. These include Kangchenjunga (from the Indian side), Gangkhar Puensum, Machapuchare, and Nanda Devi; and Kailash in the geologically distinct, but nearby Tibetan Transhimalaya. Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Himalayas

Monish Singh