KATHMANDU: The retrofitting work on the historic Gallery Hall building, a structure that stands as a witness to Nepal’s parliamentary history and was damaged in the 2015 earthquake, is unlikely to be completed within the planned deadline.
The Special Building Construction Project Implementation Office under the Ministry of Urban Development had earlier signed a contract with Prera Nirman Sewa Pvt. Ltd. to carry out the retrofitting work. The agreement had given the company until November 2025 to complete the restoration and allocated an estimated budget of around Rs 390 million for the project.
Previously left unused, the old building had long been used as a storage site for obsolete government items. Later, the National Assembly’s Delegated Management and Government Assurance Committee directed authorities to preserve the Gallery Hall as a heritage structure of artistic, cultural, and historical importance.
The hall, also known as the “Aina Bhawan,” was built by Rana Prime Minister Chandra Shumsher as a private theater beside Singha Durbar. Lavishly decorated with mirrors and ornate designs, it was used to host foreign dignitaries, organize banquets, and stage cultural performances.
Following the restoration of democracy, the building served as the meeting venue for the Advisory Assembly. Over time, it became an iconic site in Nepal’s parliamentary journey, hosting some of the earliest sessions of Parliament as well as the first meetings of the National Panchayat.
The building also housed key sessions of the Interim Legislature-Parliament, including the meeting attended by members of the then-rebel Maoist party after the peace process began.
As the size of Nepal’s legislatures expanded, parliamentary meetings were later shifted to the Birendra International Convention Center, which was recently destroyed during the Gen-Z movement protests. A new federal parliament building is now nearing completion within the Singha Durbar premises.
Despite frequent calls to develop the Gallery Hall as a Parliamentary Museum, the government is considering converting it into a state guesthouse, banquet facility, or seminar hall.
Photos: Nepal Photo Library
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