The Republic Monument, being built on the eastern side of Narayanhiti Palace in Kathmandu, was supposed to be up and running by December 2016. Yet the project initiated in December 2012 by the then Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai is still in limbo.

The Republic Monument is a circular metal structure supported by four stone pillars, each 4.7 meters in height. At the center of the circular structure atop the pillars is a map of Nepal. The four stone pillars are dedicated to those who sacrificed their lives, or sustained injuries, during the 2006 ‘people’s movement’ that ultimately removed monarchy and heralded a republic. Accompanying the monument is a mega hall to accommodate up to 300 people and which will be used during various commemorative functions.

Being built by the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction under the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works, construction had first come to a halt in 2015 due to the shortage of building material during the earthquake and the subsequent blockade. After that, construction resumed and the department promised everything would be ready by the Republic Day on May 28, 2017. Yet it is still incomplete.

In 2015, the department had reported that “80 percent work” had been done. By 2017, “85 percent” had been completed. Now, says handra Shekhar Mahto, an engineer with the department, “95 percent” is complete. “We are in the final phase. Work on the main building and garden landscaping is finished. We are now giving final touches,” he says. 

Macha Kaji Maharjan, senior division engineer at the department, says, “Now we are in the process of handing over the monument to the government. As we have to work with different government bodies, we cannot say for certain when it will be open for the public.”

 Mahto reveals that the monument is spread over 191,660 square feet of land and till now Rs 420 million has already been spent on it. “We need another five million to complete the whole thing,” he says.

Maharjan says that after the monument is complete the government is thinking about revising the fee structure for entering the

 Narayanhiti Palace. The joint entry ticket would then allow visitors a tour of both the Narayanhiti Palace as well as the Republic Monument. Mahto informs that as the Republic Monument was conceived of as a quiet place, there will be no eateries or curio shops around.

What happens when the monument is handed over to the government? “We are still in the process of deciding who will look after it after the handover,” Maharjan informs.