Nepal146;s royal mess: cows in limbo, assets in secret vaults

But Gyanendra8217;s 60 cows still graze in the sprawling grounds of the Narayanhiti Palace in the heart of Kathmandu. He used the cows for fresh milk but authorities say the animals, considered holy by Hindus, must also leave.

8220;We can8217;t keep them there and no decision has yet been taken about what to do with them,8221; said Govinda Prasad Kusum, a senior bureaucrat in charge of preparing an inventory of palace contents. 8220;Maybe the livestock department under the ministry of agriculture should use these cows for research purposes,8221; he said. Nepal, a mostly Hindu nation, forbids slaughtering cows.

Gyanendra is now living as a commoner in one of his former hunting lodges outside Katmandu.

On Sunday, the government inaugurated a museum inside the pink pagoda-roofed palace where Gyanendra8217;s diamond-studded crown, ceremonial sceptre, throne and other items will be displayed.

A 1939 model Mercedes-Benz car given by Nazi leader Adolf Hitler to King Tribhuvan, Gyanendra8217;s grandfather, in 1940 will also be among other rare items likely to fill the museum, which is expected to open to the public in two months.

Like the Merc, there are innumerable royal assets that have been kept from the eyes of the public till now. Provinding them security will be an arduous task.

8220;It is not yet known what valuable items are stored in the underground safes and vaults of the palace or what documents are found inside or even how many rooms and buildings there are in the 4.1 million sq ft complex,8221; an official said.

Before leaving the palace, former King Gyanendra handed over to authorities several valuable items, including the gem-studded crown, gold sceptre and 8216;Simhashan8217; or lion-shaped royal seat last week. 8220;All these items and other valuable documents will be displayed when the newly converted Narayanhiti Palce museum opens to the general public,8221; a senior government official said.

On reports that the 8216;Simhashan8217; of Hanumandhoka Durbar is still not handed over to the government, the official said, the government received the main throne of Narayanhiti palace. 8220;But there are a number of other Simhasanas, whose detailed report has not yet been prepared,8221; said Govinda Kusum, the chief of the committee formed by the Home Ministry to evaluate and collect the palace assets. There are three golden 8216;simhasanas8217; in Hanumandhoka Old Palace and one at the Parliament House in Singhdurbar, Kusum said.

There are dozens of rhino horns, tiger skin, jewellery and centuries-old arms and historical documents and other valuables, housed in at least a dozen big buildings in the palace complex. The palace is also said to have an underground tunnel.

The safety of the feathered crown will prove a challenging job for the government, officials said. While handing over the crown and the sceptre, Gyanendra had said that the authorities will have to ensure that they are protected.