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Pokhara, Nepal – March 8, 2025
Former King Gyanendra Shah unveiled a life-size statue of his late brother, King Birendra, in a grand ceremony held yesterday in Pokhara. The event, attended by thousands of monarchist supporters, echoed sentiments from Nepal’s royal era as slogans like “Bring back the king, save the nation” and “Long live King Birendra” resonated through the crowd.
The unveiling took place at Ram Bazaar, Pokhara Metropolitan City-10, where a full-scale statue of King Birendra was installed. The venue was decorated with banners that read: ‘Statue Unveiling Ceremony of the Late King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev by His Majesty King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev’. The event was organized by the Birendra Statue Construction Committee.
A Nostalgic Royal Moment
As former King Gyanendra arrived at the venue, the atmosphere strongly resembled Nepal’s monarchical past. Supporters cheered, and the ex-king was seated on a grand throne set up on the stage, where he was greeted with enthusiastic chants from the crowd.
However, the most discussed aspect of the event was the playing of Nepal’s old national anthem, ‘Shriman Gambhir Nepali…’. When the anthem played, former King Gyanendra stood up and clapped in approval after it ended. The playing of the old national anthem has sparked controversy, with Kaski district official Bharatmani Pandey expressing dissatisfaction, stating, “It was wrong to play the old national anthem. No event should include it, and the organizers must take responsibility.”
The Statue’s History and Reconstruction
This location originally featured a statue of King Birendra in 2002 (2059 BS), and the area was named Birendra Chowk. However, during the 2006 (2062/63 BS) People’s Movement, protestors demolished the statue, leading to its removal. Last year, with a budget of NPR 2.5 million ($18,750), an 8-foot-tall new statue was rebuilt. Though the construction was completed on December 25, 2023 (Poush 9, 2080 BS), it was officially unveiled only yesterday by former King Gyanendra.
What’s Next for Former King Gyanendra?
The former monarch has been staying in Pokhara since February 10 (Magh 27) and is set to return to Kathmandu on March 10. His return is expected to be grand, with preparations underway by the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) and other royalist groups, including Durga Prasai’s supporters, to welcome him in the capital.
As the pro-monarchy movement gains traction, political analysts are closely monitoring these developments. Will this resurgence lead to a stronger push for the return of Nepal’s monarchy? Only time will tell.
