GORKHA, Nov 6: The number of visitors to the historical Gorkha Museum is on the rise.
According to Suchana Bhadel, the spokesperson of the museum, more than 16,000 people have already visited the museum in the first three months of the current fiscal year, compared to 11,000 tourists in the same period of the last fiscal year.

Gorkha, the ancestral seat of now-deposed Shah kings and the foundation of the unification campaign of modern Nepal, is a place of great historical importance. The museum has been attracting student groups from all over the country. Students come to visit the birthplace of Late King Prithvi Narayan Shah and ponder upon the texts they had read in their textbooks. The museum houses an excellent collection of historical artifacts, including weapons, tools, and musical instruments, traditional and ethnic attires, and historical paintings depicting the unification campaign. 

Due to its proximity to Kathmandu, Pokhara and Chitwan -- three major tourist destinations in the country, Gorkha has emerged as a popular destination for both domestic and foreign tourists. 

“The museum has become a center of attraction for students and researchers and to tourists,” Durga Chaudhary, an attendant at the museum. The statue of Late Prithvi Narayan Shah, medieval Palaces and courtyards built before the Shah dynasty came into power, Gorakhkali Temple and Gorakhnath Palace are the popular tourist attractions in Gorkha, according to the museum officials. 

Gorakhkali Temple can be reached after a walk of around 30 minutes from Gorkha Bazaar - the district headquarters, while the museum can be spotted from the bus station itself. 
Meanwhile, the museum's revenue increased to Rs 332,355 in the first quarter of the fiscal year, thanks to rise in tourist footfalls. The museum has been charging entry fee of Rs 10 for Nepali students, Rs 25 for Nepali nationals, Rs 50 for visitors of SAARC countries, and Rs 100 for foreign tourists.

 
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