May 29th, 2008 @ 8:40 am
Nepal’s monarchy abolished; king has 15 days to leave palace
KATMANDU, Nepal (AP) — The main palace in Nepal’s capital lowered the flag of the country’s royal family Thursday, a day after lawmakers, led by former communist insurgents, abolished the monarchy that had reigned over the Himalayan land for 239 years.
Palace staff took down the small red standard with a flag-waving lion and replaced it with Nepal’s national flag, a red banner of two triangles adorned with a sun and moon.
I’ve been following all these developments in Nepal since I went there in 1998. I remember standing outside of the palace gates, staring at the soldiers and seeing the King (who was murdered later on by his son, which is the king currently being thrown out of the palace) being escorted into his motorcade far inside the grounds. The royalty were like gods there, it makes me wonder what gods do after people stop believing in them.
