Kathmandu, December 25

The Chhaya Centre, a commercial complex located in Thamel, has been formally inaugurated. The complex, with the theme ‘Thamel inside Thamel’, was formally opened by Yogesh Bhattarai, a parliamentary member of the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) today.

Speaking during the inauguration programme, Bhattarai said that Nepal must bring more domestic and foreign direct investment for the tourism sector to further grow.

As per Prithivi Bahadur Pande, chairman of Chhaya Centre, the newly opened centre is the most sophisticated and well-facilitated shopping mall in the nation. It has been built at a cost of around Rs five billion.

“The centre has been designed for any kind of traveller and tourist who wants to know about the exact Nepali flavour,” Pande said. Adding that the centre has been brought into operation as a tourist destination, he stated it will be promoted as a tourism product.

Among the numerous facilities on offer, the multi-storied Chhaya Centre will also house the world-renowned Starwood’s Aloft brand, a five-star hotel. As per Pande, the Aloft will come into operation by March. The hotel will be branded as Aloft Kathmandu Thamel.

“Nepal has outstanding prospects in the tourism sector and needs further investment in the core tourism infrastructure,” said Pande.

Speaking to The Himalayan Times, Suman Pandey, director of Chhaya Centre, said that the commercial complex is a tourism-related infrastructure promoted by private sector to contribute to the national economy and will also support in attracting two million tourists by 2020.

“The centre will include 200 retail outlets, specialised restaurants, food courts and multiplex cinema, not to mention the two levels of underground parking lot that can accommodate 300 cars and 400 motorcycles,” Pandey further added.

The Chhaya Centre, which is owned by the Chhaya Devi Complex Pvt Ltd, is spread over 15 ropanis of land.

Meanwhile, the local Newar community staged a protest against the inauguration of the Chhaya Centre, citing that it had destroyed a historic pond.

(Yogesh Bhattarai, a parliamentary member of the Nepal Communist Party (NCP), flanked by Prithivi Bahadur Pande, chairman of Chhaya Centre (left) and Suman Pandey, director of Chhaya Centre, during the inauguration of the complex, in Thamel, Kathmandu, on Tuesday.