Central Kathmandu, in an area north of the Bagmati River, once teemed with elaborate palace complexes built by kings and prime ministers. Today, with the exception of the famous and touristy Durbar Square, many of those palaces have been repurposed or destroyed by time and earthquakes. One of the most impressive estates was Thapathali Durbar, home of the Thapas. Construction of the palace began around the turn of the 18th-century under the orders of Nain Singh Thapa, an influential general and grandfather of the powerful prime minister, Jung Bahadur Rana….
