Rani Pokhari ready to welcome visitors, no entry fee

Kathmandu: Kathmandu Metropolitan City has given free access to Rani Pokhari to the general people. No one has to pay any kind of ticket fee to enter the premises of Rani Pokhari.

There is the idol of the Hindu god Balgopaleshwor Mahadev in the temple situated at the center of Rani Pokhari.

Rani Pokhari used to be open to the general public, only once a year, during Bhaitika of Tihar.

The religious pond was undergoing renovation after being affected by the earthquake of 2072 BS. It is the first time after the renovation that it has been made open for general people.

The metropolitan said that Kathmandu Metropolitan police contributed to the cleanliness of Rani Pokhari in order to provide a delightful experience to the people.

Rani Pokhari is called ‘Nhu Pukhu’ or ‘Lani Pukhu’ in the Newa language. The man-made pond is part of a national historic heritage.

The then Malla King, Pratap Malla, constructed the pond in order to make his mourning queen, Ananta Priya, happy in 1665. His queen was in terrible condition due to the loss of her son Chakrawatendra Malla.

Chakrawatendra was only 13 years old when a terrified elephant named Gajanada’s stepped upon his chest with his foot. The painful death of Chakrawatendra devasted queen Priya.

King Malla had also constructed a monument of himself along with his two sons Mohipten and Chakrawatendra sitting on an elephant in the southern corner of the pond.

The length of the pond is 80 meters and the width is 40 meters.  It covers a total area of 62 ropani 13 annas. King Malla had brought the holy water from the Indian pilgrimage Prayag and Kashi.

Sundarijali and Budhanilkantha were the primary water source for the pond. Water from holy rivers inside Kathmandu valley and Barahashtera, Saptakoshi, Gandaki were also added in the pond.

According to the inscription, water from 51 different holy pilgrimage and rivers were added to fill the pond.

The pinnacle of the ancient temple of Rani Pokhari was devastated in 1990 B.S. Juddha Shamsher initiated the renovation work that resulted in the previous look of the pond.

The pinnacle and the whole temple were badly affected during the 7.8 magnitude earthquake of 12^th Baisakh, 2072 B.S. Former President Bidhya Devi Bhandari had placed the foundation stone of the renovation project on 12^th Baisakh, 2073.

The inauguration of the Rani Pokhari was done in the month of Kartik in 2077 B.S.

The public was not given access despite the National Reconstruction Authority had handed over to the metropolitan on Poush 8, 2078.

The number of general people is gradually increasing in Rani Pokhari premises.