 KIRAN PANDAY |
Former queen mother Ratna Rajya Laxmi Shah is spending her last days alone inside a house in Narayanhiti palace. Palace staff say that no one apart from family comes to visit her and she does not show interest in meeting outsiders either. Ratna was an eyewitness to the royal massacre but hasn't ever spoken about it.
Though the former royals left the palace after the incident, Ratna has continued living there. She has expressed a desire to live in Mahendra Manjil till the end of her days but the government hasn't agreed to her request. A platoon of the Nepal Army provides protection to the former royal. The salaries of her six maids-in-waiting are borne by Nirmal Niwas, ex-crown prince Paras' residence.
According to sources, ex-king Gyanendra visits Ratna every Monday at four for about an hour. Ratna's grandchildren come for a visit every Tuesday and Paras also pays visits sometimes. The 84-year-old spends most of her time in religious activity. She observes a fast every new moon and visits the Narayanthan and Ganesh temples inside the palace premises regularly.
