Jajarkot, November 2

As the concerned authorities remain apathetic towards the conservation of the nation’s greatest landmarks, the historic Jajarkot Durbar of Jajarkot remains in a sorry state.

The then Hari Shah of Jajarkot, a friend of Late King Prithvi Narayan Shah of Gorkha, is said to have built the palace in 1825 BS. Sadly, little interest has been shown in the conservation of the historic monument.The centuries old architecture is clearly on the verge of collapse, said local civil society chairman Keshav jung Shah.

“The durbar also houses district administration office at present but no one cares for its condition though it is in dire need of renovation and conservation,” said Shah. On his part, Acting Chief District Officer Janakraj Sharma expressed his helplessness, lamenting the apathy on the part of the Department of Archaeology,

“Renovation costs of the durbar has been estimated to be around Rs 130 million but as the Ministry of Finance didn’t release the fund, renovation has not been possible,” Sharma added.

The seven-storey durbar was reduced to four storeys by the massive earthquake of 1934. Abandoned by the then king about 56 years ago, it’s been neglected for all these years, while the historic artifacts remaining here have been lost or decayed over time.

“The durbar and artifacts could shed new light on our nation’s history, but the durbar today stands in shambles,” said Rajuraja Singh, a cultural researcher of Jajarkot.