DoA initiates work to conserve historic Dhankuta mint house

By Kokila Bhandari,Dhankuta, Nov. 14: The Department of Archaeology (DoA) has initiated conservation work on the historic Mint house in Dhankuta by including it in the budget for the fiscal year 2025/26.

The DoA inspected the Panadhiki’s Mint house, located within the Bhimdal Battalion complex in Dhankuta, on Thursday to prepare an archaeological inventory form and cost estimate for the conservation programme, said Sandip Khanal, Archaeological Officer and Head of the World Heritage Section at the DoA.

According to him, conservation work on the mint house will begin this year with the allocated budget.

The inspection team was led by Archaeological Officer and Head of the World Heritage Section, Sandeep Khanal, and included the Head of the Mint House Project, Jayanti Shrestha Pradhan, and DoA Engineer Nima Dev. 

The team — which also included Dhankuta’s Chief District Officer Binod Khadka, Deputy Chief District Officer Sabitra Rai, Deputy Mayor of Dhankuta Municipality Bhima Adhikari, security personnel, and local representatives — decided to request Dhankuta Municipality to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR). The DPR will support the renovation work using the allocated budget, expand the old fort into a museum, and construct an access road for the general public.

Currently, efforts are underway to open the historic Taksar (mint) house in Salleri, the district headquarters of Dhankuta, to the public. Locals believe that reopening the mint could help restore Dhankuta’s lost glory. 

During the reign of Colonel Rajshamsher Rana, the then governor, a water-powered mint operated between 1930 and 1932 (1987–1989 BS). Coins of 2 paisa and 5 paisa denominations were produced there. 

Recently, there has been increasing demand to open the Mint house to tourists and researchers. However, due to security concerns, the site remains off-limits to the general public.

The Department of Archaeology has allocated Rs. 500,000 for the conservation and renovation of the Mint house in the current fiscal year.

A meeting with stakeholders held at the District Administration Office, Dhankuta, on Thursday decided to use the budget to repair the cracked walls and roof of the Mint house. 

It has been stated that the Chief District Officer, along with the Nepal Army, Department of Archaeology, District Coordination Committee, Dhankuta Municipality, District Administration Office, and other stakeholders, will work jointly to reopen the Mint house.

Providing further details, General Ganesh Thapa, Commander of the Nepal Army’s Bhimdal Battalion, said that the army will assist in facilitating the repair work of the Mint house.

The Department of Archaeology has also begun an inspection programme of heritage sites in Koshi Province under its approved budget for the current fiscal year 2025/26.

In the first phase, a team of technicians inspected the conservation work of the pond within the premises of the Omkareshwor Temple in Ward No. 6 of Ratuwamai Municipality, Morang.

Similarly, conservation work will soon begin on the Chaughera Sattal of the Pindeshwor Main Temple in Ward No. 14 of Dharan Sub-Metropolitan City, a site of great historical and archaeological importance.

The bells donated to the temple by Rajendra Bikram Shah and Bhimsen Thapa in 1828 (1885 BS), and by Jung Bahadur Rana in 1852 (1909 BS), are now in a dilapidated condition.