The reconstruction of Achham Durbar, a historical palace in Mangalsen severely damaged by Maoist bombing during the insurgency, nears completion after 16 years.

The local people are elated to see the palace being restored to its original shape and style. “The Achham Durbar is an identity of Mangalsen and the entire Achham district,” said Khagendra BK, a local resident. “The locals were anxious as the reconstruction work had commenced six years after the palace was damaged, and the work was delayed under various pretexts.”

The historical palace was severely damaged when the Maoist insurgents bombed it on February 16, 2002. In the explosion, a total of 122 people were killed, including the then Chief District Officer Mohan Singh Khatri.

In 2008, the government had allocated Rs22.5 million for the reconstruction of the palace, originally built in the style of Kathmandu’s Hanuman Dhoka Durbar. Locals say the reconstruction work was affected by political pressure and negligence of the contractor, among other things.

BK said that major political parties repeatedly raised the issue of the palace reconstruction during election campaigns but forgot it afterwards. “The political parties here have made the palace an election agenda. Now, when it appears that the construction is almost complete, they are trying to take credit saying it was possible because of them,” he said. “The palace is almost ready. The remaining work should not be stopped under any pretext.”

The palace, also known as Mangalsen Durbar, sits in the middle of the Mangalsen market. “Since the palace was destroyed, the entire market seems incomplete and quiet,” said 80-year-old Kapure Nagarjee, a resident of Mangalsen. “Even though it took years to rebuild, the palace looks just like how it used to. This palace is connected to the history of Achham. It feels like history has come alive rather than just being a reconstructed palace,” he said.

The historical palace is being rebuilt under the supervision of the Department of Archaeology. As the project nears completion, discussions have started about its use and ownership.

Padam Bahadur Bohara, mayor of Mangalsen Municipality, said now there should be a discussion about who will own it. “Government offices including the district administration office and the police office were housed in the palace when it was destroyed. Separate buildings for these offices are being built now,” said Bohara.

“The palace can be used as a museum. But what should be kept in it. All the historical artefacts inside the durbar were destroyed in the attack. It is better to use the palace as an administrative office of Magalsen Municipality.”

Chief District Officer of Achham, Shiva Prasad Lamsal, said that his office has been overseeing the construction work and the palace will be ready by the Dashain festival, which falls in the month of October. “The roof of the palace has been covered. So work can continue even when it’s raining,” he said. “The authorities and stakeholders should sit together and formulate operational guidelines for the management and protection of the palace.” Currently, about 90 percent of the reconstruction work is complete.

For the reconstruction of the palace, a contract was signed in 2010 with five construction companies namely Rajendra, Saud, Tulchidurga, Badimalika and Kuwar. In the beginning, work was delayed as Meen Bahadur Kuwar was authorised to carry out the work, but other companies left after receiving some payments. Currently, Rajendra and Saud Construction are in charge of the construction. Jaya Bahadur Saud, director of Saud Construction, said the difficulty in sourcing the specific wood needed for the old structure has been causing some delays.

Earlier, the palace housed various offices including the district administration office, land revenue office, district court, among others. But at the time of the Maoist attack, only the district administration office was there. In the incident, 122 people including 53 soldiers, 59 policemen, two civil servants including the chief district officer, and eight civilians were killed.

The construction of Achham Durbar began 150 years ago during the reign of the local king TikaBhuk Shah of Magalsen and was completed in around 1878 during the reign of his son Dal Bahadur Shah. According to Surat Bahadur Shah, an expert on Achham’s history, the government bought the palace for Rs90,000 from Yogendra Bahadur Shah, the son of the Achham king, in 1972. Yogendra Bahadur's brother, Tapendra Bahadur Shah, who was an army general, facilitated the sale of the palace to the government.

The original palace was a three-storey building 20 metres long and 16 metres wide, with 30 rooms.