Kasara Durbar | Bhaktapur

Information

Landmark: Kasara Durbar
City: Bhaktapur
Country: Nepal
Continent: Asia

Kasara Durbar, Bhaktapur, Nepal, Asia

Kasara Durbar is a historic palace and administrative center located within the core area of Chitwan National Park. Originally built during the Rana regime, it now serves as the official headquarters of the national park and houses a dedicated museum.

Visual Characteristics

The durbar is a two-story masonry building reflecting the neoclassical architectural influence typical of the late Rana period in Nepal. It features whitewashed walls, large rectangular windows, and a central courtyard. The structure is characterized by its functional simplicity compared to the more ornate palaces in Kathmandu, designed primarily as a residence and administrative hub for royal hunting expeditions.

Location & Access Logistics

The palace is situated in Kasara, the central management hub of Chitwan National Park, approximately 30 km southwest of Bharatpur. Access is primarily via jeep safari or private 4WD vehicles from Sauraha or Meghauli. Visitors must possess a valid National Park entry permit to reach the site. The park headquarters at Kasara is also accessible by a seasonal unpaved road that connects to the Patihani and Jagatpur areas.

Historical & Ecological Origin

Built by the Rana rulers in the late 19th or early 20th century, Kasara Durbar was used as a royal retreat during winter hunting excursions (Shikar) when the elite of the Rana and Shah dynasties would visit the Terai to hunt tigers and rhinoceros. Following the establishment of the Royal Chitwan National Park in 1973, the building was repurposed as the administrative heart of the park. It currently coordinates conservation efforts, anti-poaching units, and scientific research.

Key Highlights & Activities

Kasara Museum: The interior of the durbar houses a museum with displays on the park’s biodiversity, including specimens of local flora, mammalian skulls, and educational exhibits on the conservation history of the Great One-horned Rhinoceros and Bengal Tiger.

Gharial Breeding Center: Located within walking distance of the durbar, this facility is dedicated to the hatching and rearing of the critically endangered Gharial crocodile.

Bikram Baba Temple: A significant Hindu religious site located near the palace grounds, attracting thousands of pilgrims during the Chaite Dashain festival.

Infrastructure & Amenities

As the park’s headquarters, the Kasara area provides essential administrative infrastructure, including a visitor information center, forest guard posts, and communication facilities. Basic public restrooms are available for visitors. While the durbar itself is not a lodging facility, several luxury resorts and community-based lodges are located in the surrounding buffer zones of Patihani and Jagatpur.

Best Time to Visit

The optimal period for visiting is from October to March. During these months, the weather is stable, and the jeep tracks through the jungle are dry and navigable. Visitation is typically part of a full-day jeep safari that includes stops at the crocodile breeding center and nearby oxbow lakes (Lami Tal and Tamor Tal).

Facts & Legends

The Kasara area is historically significant for hosting some of the largest royal hunts in world history, including the 1911 hunt by King George V, where hundreds of tigers and rhinos were killed in a single expedition. Today, the durbar stands as a symbolic transition from an era of royal hunting to a global model for wildlife conservation and park management.