B ishnu Shumsher was born with the proverbial golden spoon in his mouth. The eldest son of Maharani Bal Kumari Devi, the second wife of Maharajah Chandra Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana of Nepal, Bishnu was the first son born after Chandra inherited the post of Prime Minister of Nepal and Maharajah of Kaski and Lamjung in 1901 A.D. Chandra already had five sons from his first Rani but they had been born when Chandra was emerging as the pre-eminent force in Nepali Rana politics. Unfortunately, Rani Loke Bhakta Devi died in 1905 A.D. only 4 years after he ascended to the highest post in the land. It is said that the Rani had beseeched Chandra to re-marry as she had young children to be taken care of. Her youngest, Krishna, was only 5 years old.  Major General Bishnu Shumsher J. B. Rana Bishnu was born on 13th November 1906, an apple of his father's eye. Early childhood was spent in the opulence of Singha Durbar, the palace his father built after coming to power, a veritable Versailles in ...

C olombo has been in the international shipping lane linking East and West since time immemorial. The Portuguese landed there and called the island Selan alluding to the many herbs and spices found there. The Arabs called it Serendip when, perchance, they sailed to it. The word 'serendipity' entered the English lexicon from it. The British called it Ceylon and the name remained so until 1972 A.D. when she became Sri Lanka. The ship of Prime Minister Jung Bahadur Rana of Nepal docked in Colombo on his sea voyage to England and back in 1850 A.D. Much later in 1956 A.D. Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew visited Colombo and, bowled over by the beauty of the land, vowed to transport Singapore in its image.  Independence Square with statue of the country's first prime minister Rt. Hon. Don Stephen Senanayake I had the fortunate opportunity of visiting Sri Lanka recently taking time off during the Dasain holidays, a much deserved sojourn having survived two lock-downs brough...

T wo half-sisters were married to the Wali'Ahad a Persian formulation for 'heir to the throne', Crown Prince Trailokya Bikram Shah of Nepal. These marriages took place in short intervals, the elder sister Tara Rajya Luxmi Devi got married to Trailokya in 1857 A.D. when she was just seven years old and he just nine. A few years later her half-sister Lalit Rajya Luxmi Devi got married to the same prince in 1860 A.D. when she was but six years old. Both of them were daughters of Maharajah Jung Bahadur Rana, prime minister and de facto ruler of Nepal. From left, Crown Princess Tara, Jung Bahadur, Hiranya Garva Kumari, Crown Princess Lalit Photo by Clarence Comyn Taylor, 1863 A.D. Jung Bahadur Rana, a talented army officer, was emerging in the ranks when he married his second wife Nanda Kumari Devi of a Tandon Khatry family from Gorakhpur. His first wedded wife Prasad Luxmi Basnet had passed away giving him his first born son Bhim Jung. After he got married a second time, his fo...

O ut of all the 20 or so daughters of Maharajah Jung Bahadur Rana perhaps the daughter with the most colorful personality was Jung's second daughter from his Bada Maharani, the main consort, Hiranya Garva Kumari. Popularly known as Bagh ki Kanchi Maiya as she was the younger wife (kanchi) of Prince Dhirendra Bikram Shah of Bagh Durbar, first cousin of the crown prince, Princess Deep Kumari led a very eventful life. Her own elder half-sister Khadga Kumari, popularly known as Chirbiray Maiya, was the first wife of Dhirendra. They together brought about a regime change with their daredeviltry. Deep Kumari's elder sister Lalita Rajya Luxmi Devi was married to Crown Prince Trailokya Bikram Shah and was the mother of the future king, Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah. Lalita Rajya Luxmi had to act regal whereas, as the younger sister with less responsibility, Deep Kumari could afford to act frivolously and still get protection from the powers that be for her wanton behaviour.  Bagh ki Kanchi ...