Kathmandu, Sept. 14 -- Singha Durbar, built in 1908 by Rana Prime Minister Chandra Shumsher, was designed by two Nepali architects, Kumar Narsingh Rana and Kishor Narsingh Rana, who oversaw the planning and construction of this grand palace. At the time, the structure cost Rs 5 million.

Originally built as a residence as well as an administrative command centre, according to research by Rishi Ram Parajuli, a lecturer in Structural Engineering at Kingston University in London, the palace was built on 50 hectares of manicured lawns and seven inter-connected courtyards.

With over 1,000 rooms, Singha Durbar was considered one of the largest palaces in South Asia, a true symbol of the Rana regime's wealth and power.

But on July 9, 1973, the...