Nepal government unveils priceless crown to public

Nepal government on Monday unveiled the crown and 11 other artifacts of the Shah dynasty that represents two and a half century old monarchy, a decade after the Himalayan country was declared a Republic.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli unveiled the crown at a special function at Narayanhiti Royal palace-turned museum.

The display of the crown will lure foreign tourists from around the world in the days ahead that would help in promote Nepal's tourism sector, Oli said.

The Narayanhiti Palace was converted into a museum after the abolition of the monarchy in Nepal in May 28, 2008. The palace is now owned by the government.

The then prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala declared that the royal palace would be converted into a museum after the last king of the Shah dynasty, Gyanendra Shah, left the palace on June 11, 2008.

Twelve valuable artifacts belonging to the ex-monarch, including the crown, scepter and a sword were made public on Monday.

The crown and scepter were few artifacts that had been kept with the Nepal Army for protection after the museum opened for public on February 27, 2009.

Special security arrangements were made for the unveiling of the crown full of diamond and gold. There are seven layers of protection for the crown. The crown is kept in a bullet-proof glass and the CCTV camera will operate round-the-clock.

The box also has a censor that will activate an alarm if any one touches the box. The royal crown, which is bejeweled with diamonds and gold, used to be worn by the king on special occasions consists of 730 pieces of diamonds and other valuable stones.