King Birat’s palace becomes museum

By Sachin Pokharel,Biratnagar, Mar. 14: The palace of the historical King Birat is now open to the public. The Nepali Army has converted this heritage site, located at Bhediyari, Biratnagar Metropolitan City–18, into a museum for people to visit and explore. The King Birat Palace Museum, as it has been named, was inaugurated and handed over to the metropolis by General Officer Commanding of the Nepali Army’s Eastern Division Major General Dr. Aash Bahadur Tamang on Sunday. 

Tamang and Chief of the army’s No. 2 Brigade Brigadier General Mahesh Kumar Thapa handed over the keys to the museum to Biratnagar Mayor Nagesh Koirala and Deputy Mayor Shilpa Nirala Karki. 

The museum was opened to the public on Sunday.  The army transformed the palace into the museum at a cost of Rs. 1.9 million under its Quick Impact Project. 

Speaking on the occasion, Mayor Koirala appreciated the army for preserving the historical monuments and said that the local government would prepare a special plan for the development and promotion of the museum. 

Birat is a Mahabharat-era king who ruled the nation Matsya from his capital Bhediyari. His palace occupied an area of eight Bighas, three Katthas and 17 Dhurs. 

The five Pandavas and their wife Draupadi are believed to have spent a year at his court as per of their concealed-residence (Gupta Vaas). The historicity of the area was proven in 1970 when an excavation by the Department of Archaeology unearthed old Panchamark silver coins.