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Kaiser Library (Kathmandu)

Nepal / Kathmandu / Kathmandu
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The Kaiser Library is situated in the Kaiser Mahal a central city of Kathmandu valley, and right in front of the Western Gate of the Narayan Hiti Royal Palace . Kaiser Mahal was the residence of Late Field Marshal Kaiser Shamsher Jung Bahadur Rana son of the late Prime Minister Chandra Shamsher Jung Bahadur Rana.The Kaiser Library itself is unique in terms of art, architecture, cultural heritage, photographs, and paintings mingled at one place.

Kaiser Library is one of the unique and oldest Libraries in Nepal. It was established in 2026 B.S. (1969 A.D.) with the donated of personal collection by Her Hiness Krishna Chandra Devi Rana as per the will and in memory of her late husband Field Marshal Kaiser Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana since its establishment Kaiser Library has been operating under the Ministry of Education and Sports Government of Nepal as an independent authority in itself. The Library has a total of 50,000 books, documents and pictures aving historical importance.

History

Kaiser Shamsher was interested in collecting books, unique antics, skulls of wild animals, paintings, photographs since his early childhood. He had found this aspiration in 1908 when he visited libraries and museums in England . He was very impressed with the library systems in England . After his return from England , he developed Kaiser Library as his personal library. At the time of Kaiser Shamsher, this library was limited to his family members, special people within and abroad the country. After his death in 1964, his wife Rani Krishna Chandra Devi Rana donated this library and Kaiser Palace premises to His Majesty's Government of Nepal for public use in 1968 as desired by him. Since 1968 this library is running under his name as Kaiser Library and opened for general public.

During the last days of the Rana regime, Kaiser Shumshere was the Lord Saheb In-Charge of the Nepalese Army. Right from his very young age of 15 or 16 Kaiser Shumshere was interested in buying and collecting different types of books and newspapers. In that very young age he also got a chance to visit England with his father Maharaja Chandra. He was very much impressed by the ruling system of England, as well as by the library system and the proper management of books there. Book collection was his hobby and his visit to Britain & British libraries led to increase the number of his books and change in the structure of his own library. From England, he bought & brought with him many books to Kathmandu. Even though the books in his library grew in number they were his personal property and ordinary people didn't get chance to read them or to have an access to his library. The library was limited to the members of his family, special people of the nation and special visitors from abroad. It remained personal for many years even after the Revolution of 2007 B.S. (1950 A.D.) which introduced democracy in Nepal. Before his death in 2021 B.S. (1964 A.D.) he wished to hand over his library to the government, thereby making it a national property so that everybody could get the benefit out of it. According to her Hiness Krishna Chandra Devi Rana was taken over by the government of Nepal, and since the year 2026 B.S. (1969 A.D.) it is running under the name of Kaiser Library.

To Contact

By Post:

Kaiser Library
Kanti Path
Kaiser Mahal
Kathmandu
Nepal

Openning Hours:

Summer : 10.00 A.M. to 5.00 P.M. (except on public holidays)
Winter : 10.00 A.M. to 4.00 P.M. (except on public holidays)
Friday : 10:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.



e-mail: kesherlib@most.gov.np

Tel: 977 1 441-1318
Fax: 977 1 442010

klib.gov.np/
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   27°42'53"N   85°18'53"E
This article was last modified 17 years ago