Royal Family Of Nepal - Shah dynasty

[Kasumi]

Nepal's ex-Prince Paras in midnight brawl at casino: report
38-year-old Paras, who was arrested for firing his gun in a forest resort in southern Chitwan district during a late-night drunken altercation with the family members of former Deputy Prime Minister Sujata Koirala last year, was found at the Royal Casino on Tuesday night "in an alcoholic stupor", myrepublica online, the website of Republica newspaper said.

Oh, not again...

[Kasumi]

Ex-Nepal King busy in secret meets, asks whether he has a role to play?

[Kasumi]

Why Nepal’s Crown Prince Went on a Killing Spree | PRI's The World
It was 10 years ago June 1st that, by the official account, Nepal’s Crown Prince strode into a royal family gathering, opened fire, and killed nine people – including his father the King, before shooting himself.

New conspiracy theory after 10 years of Nepal palace massacre - Mangalorean.Com

Two years ago, when the Narayanhity, once the royal palace jealously guarded from the public eye by a high wall and armed soldiers, opened to the public as a national museum, it was not the ceremonial throne or stuffed animal hunting trophies that held the curious crowds transfixed. What mesmerised them instead was a razed down mansion with some walls still bearing bullet pock marks – the site of the royal massacre on June 1, 2001 which killed the then king Birendra and wiped out his entire family. But on Wednesday, the 10th anniversary of the dark night that led to the eventual abolition of monarchy in the world's only Hindu kingdom, people had mostly forgotten the slain king. It was partly due to the quirks of the Nepali calendar. According to it, Birendra and nine more royals, including the queen and their three children, died on Jeth 19, which, this year, falls on June 2. -times of india

[Kasumi]

Let people decide fate of Nepal Monarchy: Ex-Crown Princess Himani

[Kasumi]

G. Shah awarded, some solace to Nepal's Ex-King from literary world
The ex-King has been awarded with a high profile literary award.
It is quite interesting to note that members of Nepal’s royal family are born poets. Shah’s father late HM the King Mahendra Bir Bikram Shahwas quite popular for his poetry writings. Similarly, slain queen Aishwarya Shah too was a poet.
Late King Birendra was a painter, analysts have been told.

[Kasumi]

The Himalayan Times : Deposed king Shah frets over worsening political situation - Detail News : Nepal News Portal
Lamenting the worsening political situation of the country, former king Gyanendra Shah today said he had not imagined that the country would come to this pass when he abdicated the throne and left the Narayanhiti palace.
“When I left the palace, I had not imagined that the country would face such deterioration,” the deposed king told reporters at a brief press conference held at Nirmal Niwas on the occasion of his 65th birthday. Surrounded by security officers and mediapersons, Shah said, “But let’s pray for peace and prosperity.”
Shah said, “I feel people are facing more and more hardships.”
Asked about the possibility of peace and constitution, Shah said, “We must not lose hope. Whether we get peace and constitution is another matter.”

[Kasumi]

Nepal’s ex-King mocks ruling elites; people throng and wish Happy B’day

[Kasumi]

Gyanendra celebrates 65th birthday - *
Nepal''s last monarch Gyanendra today celebrated his 65th birthday at a lavish programme at his residence near Kathmandu.
Hundreds of followers and former royalties gathered at ''Nirmal Niwas'' in Maharajnung to offer birthday greetings to the former king, whose royal status was stripped off in 2008 and became a private citizen.

Close on the heels of Nepal's government banning any public celebration of exiled Tibetan leader Dalai Lama's 76th birthday, a small but loyal group of royalists Thursday celebrated the 64th birthday of deposed king Gyanendra.
Ignoring an early morning drizzle, men, women and children holding aloft placards with the former king's photograph and flowers made their way to Nirmal Niwas, the sprawling mansion that was Gyanendra's private residence as a prince before he was crowned king of Nepal in 2001 following the assassination of his elder brother, King Birendra. - Source

[Kasumi]

Hidden treasure found under Nepalese royal palace
Workers renovating a former royal palace in the Nepalese capital have discovered a huge stash of gold and silver ornaments weighing more than 300 kilograms (661 pounds), the government said Tuesday.Three boxes of treasures, thought to be more than 500 years old, were hidden in a store room under the sprawling 16th-century Hanuman Dhoka palace, a UNESCO world heritage site, a spokesman for the culture ministry told AFP.

Hidden treasure found under Nepalese palace | Entertainment | DAWN.COM

[Kasumi]

Former Nepalese Crown Princess Himani Shah is garlanded by well-wishers after worshipping at the temple of Lord Ganesh in Kathmandu July 12th, 2011.
According to Hindu culture, Tuesday is an auspicious day to worship Lord Ganesh and it is also believed that offering to and worshipping the deity on this day will make one's wishes come true.

**Pic** - credits Reuters

[Cory]

She seems to be more popular than her husband and that's very good for the future of her son.

[Kasumi]

Originally Posted by Cory

She seems to be more popular than her husband and that's very good for the future of her son.

As far as I see, you love truisms, Cory...

[Cory]

I am just monarchist ...and I suppose hope is very important.

[Kasumi]

‘Nepal king ordered destruction of Buddha statue’ News
A former Nepali minister Monday said then King Birendra of Nepal had ordered the demolition of a Buddha statute. [...]
According to the former minister, the king, who was regarded as an incarnation of a Hindu god and wielded absolute power, had ordered that foreigners would not be able to build Buddhist monasteries in Nepal except in Lumbini, the sacred birthplace in southern Nepal.
However, a renowned Japanese monk, who had also built a Buddhist monastery in India’s Orissa state, wanted to establish monasteries in Nepal to propagate Buddhism.
The Japanese was helped by a former minister from the Nepali Congress, Min Bahadur Gurung.
Gurung offered the Japanese preacher his own personal land in Pokhara city, now a popular tourist destination in western Nepal.
Dahal said to throw dust in the eyes of the government, Gurung built a small temple on his land and then installed a Buddha statue there.
When Birendra came to know, he sent the army who razed down the temple and ‘kicked down’ the Buddha statue, Dahal wrote Monday in the Nagarik daily.
Once the only Hindu kingdom in the world, though Nepal now takes immense pride in being the birthplace of the Buddha, Buddhists however say they live in neglect and repression.

[Kasumi]

‘Nepal Govt kept King Gyanendra under house arrest on Indrajatra Day’
On Sunday, 11th September 2011, Kathmandu denizens celebrated the Indrajatra Festival with joy and enthusiasm but what went unnoticed on that day is that the government had put the former king Gyanendra Shah under house arrest the entire day.

[...]

On Sunday morning, Gyanendra’s aides called officials at the Ministry of Home Affairs to provide needed security to the former King. The response was a straight ‘no’.
The aides told the officials that the King will not be in Basantapur area while the formal celebrations were on and, that he will take blessings from the Kumari-Living goddess and will return home quietly. The response was still ‘No’.
[...]
Within minutes after the conversation ended, the government deployed some 100 plus security personnel at the former King’s personal residence in Maharajgunj, Kathmandu. He was warned not to dare to come out from his residence else face unfortunate consequences.

[Kasumi]

HRH the Crown Princess Himani has visited Lord Ganesha's temple and has offered her prayers by lighting a butter lamp. It is believed that offering to and worshipping the deity will make one's wishes come true.
The former Crown Princess of Nepal turned 35 years old on October 1st, 2011.

**Pic** - Reuters

[Kasumi]

BBC journalist met the former Crown Princess Himani Shah to talk about life after royalty, and gauged public opinion three years on from the change.

BBC News - The monarchy's life in Nepal's republic

[Kasumi]

Nepal Ex-King Gyanendra: Back in the news, to abide by SC ruling
Majority of Nepal’s political leaders who consider ‘state-power’ as their paternal property have been shaken by the fresh Supreme Court ruling.
The Supreme Court had Thursday, December 8, 2011 ordered the government to withdraw all facilities being illegally enjoyed by the former prime ministers, ministers, the ex-King and other VIPs from the state coffers, which the apex court said were ‘arbitrary, discriminatory and against the laws of the land’.
The facilities included, vehicles, fuel, money for home rent and maintenance, state security personnel and other visible and invisible perks to ex-PMs, ex-chief justices, former DPMs, home ministers, ministers, state ministers, lawmakers and ex-royalty.

[...]
Reports quote sources close to former King Gyanendra Shah as saying that the former King will also abide by the Supreme Court ruling.

[Kasumi]

Treasure hunting the royal fortune - Hindustan Times
Interested in taking part in a treasure hunt? If yes, here’s your chance to earn a reward for this Christmas and New Year festivities. But there’s a catch. There’s no map to follow clues and no guarantee how much you can expect to win, if you manage to trace the ‘hidden fortune’.
On Monday, Office of Nepal Trust, the government body formed to track down assets of late King Birendra Shah and his family, announced a prize to anyone providing information about unaccounted assets of the former royals. Set up in 2006, before abolition of monarchy, the trust has been entrusted by the interim constitution the task of bringing all properties of the late king and his family including those of his brother former King Gyanendra under government control to be used for national benefit.
[...]
The trust had difficulty in ascertaining whether the royals had deposited money in any foreign banks and initiatives through diplomatic channels to trace accounts in 10 countries had yielded no result.
It had not been able to make proper use of properties, buildings and plots of land brought under its control. There were also protests from land tillers who had been cultivating agricultural land belonging to the royals.
Now with the announcement of a reward there’s hope that enthusiastic treasure hunters will track down bank accounts and other property details of the former royal family — in Nepal and outside.

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King Mahendra's Nepalese Nationalism
King Mahendra contributed to unite the modern Nepal. Before 1960, Indians were free to purchase land in Nepal. After 1961, king Mahendra banned foreigners from purchasing Nepalese land.
People were compelled to walk through Indian roads to move from one Nepali district to other. In 1961, King Mahendra laid the foundation for East-West Highway at Gailakot.
Nepali language was continued as national language across the nation. Before 1960, 90% of Indian currency notes were in use which was removed and use of Nepali currency was made compulsory. Without any condition the king asked the Indian force deployed for security of Nepal to leave.

[Kasumi]

Nepal Ex-King Gyanendra appears in public, speculations galore
Nepal’s former King Gyanendra Shah after several months of hibernation was located in Sauraha - popular tourist destination in the district of Chitwan, accompanied by his family members.
According to reports, except son Paras Shah, the former sovereign is accompanied by seven of his family members including his wife Komal Shah, daughter-in-law Himani Shah, grandson Hridayendra Shah and his granddaughters.
The former royal family will stay in Chitwan until January 4, 2011.
The former King has made it a habit of appearing in public only when country’s erratic politics begins to exhibit fatal symptoms.
However, this time, media reports have it that the former Nepal Monarch will assist Himani Shah in her works through Himani Trust in the area of their temporary residence.

Birendra remembered: Who killed the king
The birth anniversary of Nepal’s slain monarch Birendra Bir Bikram Shah was observed at various parts of the country including capital Kathmandu, December 29, 2011.People from various walks of life paid their homage to the Late King and recalled his contributions to institutionalize democracy in the country with the support of the political parties.
A program was organized at the Jawalakhel Crossing in Lalitpur by the Yogi Narahari Nath Trust wherein leaders of various political parties, former ministers, former bureaucrats, intellectuals and retired security personnel had converged.
King Birendra and the entire family members were killed in a shootout that took place inside the Narayanhiti Royal Palace, June 1, 2001.