Kathmandu - Narayanhiti Durbar

Durbar Marg begins at Kathmandu's newest royal residence, Narayanhiti Durbar, a much-extended palace of the Rana period and seat of the Shah kings from 1908. The enlarged palace was consecrated in 1970 on the occasion of the then Crown Prince Birendra's marriage. Soldiers guard the gates in the high wall encircling the extensive grounds, discouraging tourists and the idly curious. The palace is open to the public once a year on the tenth day of the Dasain Festival, when the King and Queen distribute tikas to their subjects.