By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Jan. 5: Targeting the Visit Nepal Year- 2020, Hanumandhoka Durbar Museum Development Committee is set to open three galleries related to three Shah kings- Mahendra, Birendra and Tribhuvan of the Hanumandhoka Durbar museum.
The Hanumandhoka Durbar museum was closed for the visitors after the 2015 earthquake partially damaged it. The renovation of the museum section of the historical building has completed and the finishing touches are being applied in the galleries and Gaddhi Baithak.
As per the plan of the committee, the museum will open from February for the visitors. Earlier, the visitors could observe only the biography of three late kings- Mahendra, Birendra and Tribhuvan.
But this time they can get an opportunity to observe the objects related to these kings when then visit the gallaries. They can also observe the objects of the Malla and Lichhivi eras with short information about the objects, said Aruna Nakarmi, execute director of Hanumandhoka Durbar Museum Development Committee.
“ It has been planned to provide information about the intangible heritages related to the Durbar Square by building a separate hall. Video clips related to several intangible heritages will be kept to inform the visitors,’’ she said.
The committee is also preparing to make public the Hanumanddhoka-based Budhanilkantha statue, which is still beyond the reach of common people.
Once visitors enter the museum section, they can visit the Gaddhi Baithak in a single ticket. Guides are managed for the visitors inside the neo-classical building of the Gaddhi Baithak. This provision will be put into practice once the museum section opens.
Currently, Gaddhi Baithak has been closed for the visitors with a view to provide training to guides on the Gaddhi Baithak.
The guides are trained twice a week on Saturday and Tuesday to manage small groups of visitors. Training has been provided to the office staff also, she said.
The committee is also planning to manage focus light system in each big and small temples of the Hanumandhoka Durbar Square in coming days, Nakarmi said.
Hanumandhoka Durbar square is the centre of cultural and historical core of the Kathmandu Valley. The Hanumandhoka Palace was originally founded during the Licchavi period (4th to 8th centuries AD), but the compound was expanded considerably by King Pratap Malla in the 17th century. The historical palace square had originally housed 35 courtyards (chowks), but the 1934 earthquake reduced the palace to today’s 10 chowks.