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On the corner of Tridevi Marg and Kantipath, Kesar Mahal , the residence of Field Marshal Kesar Shamsher Rana (1891-1964), now serves as the compound of the Ministry of Education and Culture. Inside, the Kesar Library (Sun-Thurs 10am-5pm, 4pm in winter, Fri 10am-3pm; free) looks like a featured spread in the Nepali edition of Better Homes and Gardens. Long shelves of European books, a suit of armour, a stuffed tiger and portraits of all the famous people the field marshal ever shook hands with shed intriguing light on a member of Nepal's pre-1951 ruling elite. A man who appreciated the good things in life, Kesar Shamsher Rana is said to have laid out the grounds of his mansion as a "dream garden" with areas devoted to each of the six seasons. Trees were planted to ensure that different fruits ripened year-round. Although the garden has gone downhill over the years, the fruit still attracts thousands of giant fruit bats , which in the daytime can be seen hanging like handbags from the taller trees here and across the way at the royal palace. Another sort of colonial landmark, Fora Durbar, the swish R&R compound for American expats, hides behind high brick walls at the southeastern corner of the Tridevi Marg-Kantipath roundabout. Across Kantipath is the oversized secretariat building of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)
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