Photo taken on Oct. 15, 2018 shows the royal crown used by former monarchs of the country in the Narayanhiti Palace Museum located in the heart of the capital city Kathmandu, Nepal. After 10 years of abolition of monarchy from Nepal, the royal crown used by former monarchs of the country has been kept in public display for the first time on Monday. (Xinhua/Sulav Shrestha)
KATHMANDU, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- After 10 years of abolition of monarchy from Nepal, the royal crown used by former monarchs of the country has been kept in public display for the first time on Monday.
Amid a special ceremony held in the Narayanhiti Palace Museum located in the heart of the capital city Kathmandu, Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli unveiled the royal crown, one of the most important symbols of monarchy, used by kings for hundreds of years.
Nepal exhibited the crown, scepter, tiara and the sword among other valuable items used by the former royal families, exactly a decade after Nepal was declared as a federal republic country.
Addressing the ceremony, Prime Minister Oli said that the crown reflects the change in political system of Nepal and the rich history of the country.
"We need to preserve and respect our history. The palace museum will be developed as a history museum that not just reflects about monarchy but also different dynasties and periods of Nepal, culture and diversity," the prime minister said.
According to the government, the crown consists of 730 pieces of diamonds, over 2,000 pearls and studded with precious ruby and other gems and stones. The government has no estimation of the monetary value of the royal crown, as jewellers claim it as a priceless artifact.
There is also no exact data about when and where the crown was made. The royal palace was converted into a museum after the abolition of 239-year-old monarchy and departure of the last King of Shah Dynasty Gyanendra Shah from the palace in 2008.
Although the museum was open for public from 2009, some of the priceless items including the crown were not put for public display due to security reasons.
Now, the spectacular crown has been kept inside a special bullet-proof glass box with layers of machinery and human security.
Among 52 chambers in the palace, only 19 have been opened for public observation so far while the government has expressed its commitment to open up all soon.
