By Our Correspondent, Sindhulimadhi, Apr. 10: Reconstruction of the historic Sindhuligadhi Palace in Kamalamai Municipality has started.

According to the municipality, the palace, located in Ward No. 3, is being reconstructed at a cost of Rs. 43.89 million under the local and provincial government’s joint tourism development project.

Mayor Khadga Bahadur Khatri informed that the municipality had aimed to complete the work within 16 months. Tulsi-Arisa JV of Bhaktapur is the contractor for the project.

The palace was built by Bambir Bikram Rana, son of Bam Bahadur Rana, who was the brother of the then Shree 3 Maharaja Jung Bahadur Rana. At the time, it was the base of administration for the East No. 2 region. However, the palace was not maintained after the district headquarters was shifted to Sindhulimadhi.

Locals say that the palace and its structures were neglected after the shifting of the district headquarters, and they fell into ruins. Mayor Khatri told The Rising Nepal that Kamalamai Municipality started rebuilding the Sindhuligadhi fort after the local level election.

He said, "Keeping in mind the historical and archaeological significance of the Sindhuligadhi palace, we began reconstructing it. We will build it in its original style.”

The municipality also stated that the fort had been converted into Nepal’s first war museum to make Sindhuligadhi an attractive destination for international tourists. The museum complex contains a statue of Prithvi Narayan Shah, a picnic area and has a mausoleum site at the spot where the British soldiers were killed during the Anglo-Nepal war.

The museum was built by the Nepal Army.

Sagar Kumar Dhakal, an expert on the palace, said that the municipality had prioritised the reconstruction, protection and promotion of Sindhuligadhi.

He informed that the actual Sindhuligadhi fort was an important place where the likes of Shree Harsha Pant, Bansha Raj Pandey and Banshu Gurung led the Gorkhali army against the British forces on November 6, 1767, and protected the sovereignty and integrity of Nepal.

Sindhuligadhi was also in the top 100 tourist destinations declared by the government for the Visit Nepal Year 2020.