Gaddi Baithak is now open to the public (with photos)

KATHMANDU: MARCH. 31 – The public can now visit the Gaddi Baithak in Basantapur, Kathmandu, which opened on Tuesday. The Gaddi Baithak was inaugurated in a ceremony by Maheshwor Neupane, Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation. Gaddi is open to the public at the same time.

The Gaddi, which was damaged by the 2072 BS earthquake, was built by Mia Moto under the US Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation. The reconstruction was completed in collaboration with the Cultural Heritage Fund.

Decorated with beautiful crafts

During the Rana period, only a small number of people were permitted to enter the magnificent and massive Gaddi Baithak, which is now open to the public as an open museum. The Rana period Gaddi Baithak is made of traditional materials such as brick, bajra, and surkhi.

It was built in the neoclassical style by Shri 3 Chandra Shumsher in 1965 BS. After visiting Europe, Chandra Shumsher is said to have been impressed by the architecture and asked to build a Gaddi Baithak.

Mayadevi Aryal, an official of the Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Museum and the Gaddi Baitak’s information officer, stated that the Gaddi Baithak was open to the public for study and observation.

The living room features a sofa and attractive mirrors, as well as a wooden artistic door, porch, and cushion. Large and appealing chandeliers made of Belgium crystal adorn the top of the floor. A gallery of paintings depicting historical events from the Shah Dynasty to the Republic is located on the ground floor of the Gaddi Baithak room.

There is also a room for reading, listening and watching from important digital platforms. Various weapons used by the Shah dynasty kings are also on display.

The Gaddi Baithak was then used to present foreign diplomats with certificates of office and to hold important meetings. To see the Gaddi Baithak, domestic tourists must now pay Rs 30 and foreign tourists must pay Rs 300.

Photographs of the Gaddi Baithak are permitted, but videos are not permitted.

-Manisha Poudel