Nepal puts royal crown on display

Kathmandu: Nepal on Monday put on display the royal crown used by former kings after 10 years of the abolition of monarchy in the Himalayan country.

Amid a special ceremony in the Narayanhiti Palace Museum in Kathmandu, Nepali Prime Minister K.P. 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, sceptre, tiara and the sword among other valuable items used by the former royal families, exactly a decade after Nepal was declared a federal republic country, the Himalayan Times reported.

Speaking at the ceremony, Oli said that the crown reflected the change in the 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, its culture and diversity."

According to the government, the crown consisted of 730 diamonds, over 2,000 pearls, precious rubies and other gems. The government said it had no estimate of the monetary value of the royal crown as jewellers called it a priceless artefact.

There was also no exact data about when and where the crown was made. The royal palace was converted into a museum after the abolition of the 239-year-old monarchy and departure of the last King of the Shah Dynasty Gyanendra Shah from the palace in 2008.

Although the museum was open for the public from 2009, some of the priceless items including the crown were not put on public display for security reasons.

Now, the spectacular crown has been kept inside a special bullet-proof glass box with layers of machinery and human security.

Among the 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.