Birat
Anupam
Itahari, June 1 (RSS): Dhankuta is the gateway city to hilly districts of Bhiojpur, Sankhuwasabha, Tehrathum and Taplejung. It is also a historic touristic and administrative town.
However, a provincial museum in this town does not get to welcome expected
volume of visitors. Established in 2039 BS as regional museum by Nepal
Government's Department of Archaeology, this museum was open to common people
since 2052 BS. It has been renamed as provincial museum after Nepal adopted
federalism.
''We get just around 10 to 100 visitors in a day, normally we do welcome single digit visitor'', informed Laxmi Kumari Subedi, a staff at the museum. ''Our monthly revenues are just around from Rs. 2,000 to Rs. 5,000.'' The entry fee for students and adults is Rs. 5 and Rs. 10 respectively.
For visitors from SAARC region it is Rs. 50 for
entry and for foreigners the fee is Rs. 100. Subedi said the museum is not
taken as the must-visit venue in Dhankuta. ''It is the duty of Dhankuta locals,
Dhankuta local government and all tourism entrepreneurs of the district to make
this museum a must-visit destination in Dhankuta'', said Subedi.
Dhankuta's museum hosts
all attires, ornaments, instruments and other ethnic heritages of indigenous
ethnic communities of Province 1 which include Sherpa, Rai, Limbu, Lepchha,
Tharu, Bantar, Rajbanshi, Meche, Dhimal, Jhangad, Majhi, Tajpuria, Danuwar,
Musahar, Satar and Gangai, among others. Museum includes two different
galleries and has assembled 241 old coins of East India Company dating from 1835
to 1891. These coins were obtained on 7 Shrawan 2060 from Takan Dubba of Jhapa.
Located within just 5-minute
drive from Dhankuta bus park, the museum is adjacent to Dhankuta Municipality
Office located at Mathlo Kopche of Dhankuta-5. The museum is officially on
Tuesday. For all other weekdays, museum is open. The area of museum is 8 Ropani.
