Dhankuta is the gateway city to the hilly districts of Bhojpur, Sankhuwasabha, Tehrathum and Taplejung. It is also a historic tourist and administrative town.
However, a provincial museum in this town does not get to welcome the expected volume of visitors. Established in 2039 BS as a regional museum by the Nepal Government's Department of Archeology, this museum was open to common people since 2052 BS. It has been renamed a provincial museum after Nepal adopted federalism.
''We get just around 10 to 100 visitors a day, normally we do welcome single-digit visitors,'' informed Laxmi Kumari Subedi, 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 the SAARC region, it is Rs 50 for entry and for foreigners the fee is Rs 100. Subedi said the museum is not taken as a must-visit place 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,'' Subedi stressed.
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. The museum has two different galleries and a collection of 241 old coins of the East India Company dating from 1835 to 1891. These coins were obtained on 7 Shrawan 2060 from Tagan Dubba of Jhapa.
Located within just a 5-minute drive from Dhankuta bus park, the museum is adjacent to the Dhankuta Municipality Office located at Mathlo Kopche of Dhankuta-5. The museum is officially closed on Tuesday. On all other weekdays, it is open. The area of the museum is 8 ropanis.
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