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| History of Car in Nepal |
When we talk about the history of car in Nepal, we tend to remember a black and white photograph of a car being carried by hundreds of porters on their shoulders. This car is supposed to be the car gifted by Adolf Hitler in 1939 AD, in the premise of Second World War. Kind Tribhuvan rode this car in Kathmandu roads. In 1955, after the demise of Kind Tribhuvan, the same car was kept at Thapathali Technical Campus for the purpose of teaching and learning. If we get lucky, we can seldom see this car in exhibition and exposition around Kathmandu. Nevertheless, this was not the first car imported to Nepal.
According to an article in the Nepali Times, erstwhile Britain’s prince Edward (later King Edward VIII) rode the first car in Nepali land that came across the Indian border in 1922 AD for the purpose of wild hunting in Kasara, Chitawan. However, general public did not get chance to buy a car for the next 50 years after the first car came in Nepal. At that time, it was illegal for people to buy a car. Looking back, it’s already been a century since the arrival of first car in Nepal. Cars came as a gift or rewards but it was Chandra Samsher who first bought a car for himself. According to writer Tony Hegan, Rana clan and a Nepali scientist Gehendra Samsher also imported a Ford company vehicle on his own. Many years later, in 1939, German dictator Hitler gifted two Mercedes Benz each for Juddha Samsher and King Tribhuvan in order to persuade Nepali Gurkha Army to fight the world war for him.
Later the Rana dynasty witnessed a tradition of buying cars to complement their affluent lifestyle. King Mahendra also bought American Chrysler and Mercedes Benz as his royal ride. But at that time people would have to carry the car in a bamboo cart because there was no road connectivity to Kathmandu from Terai. There is a history of bringing around four dozens of car with the help of hundreds of Balami and Tamang porters of Makwanpur district. They were all to add up to the luxury of Shah and Rana lineage. The usual routes of car carrying were Chitlang, Kushle Chaur, Markhu Pauwa, Kulekhani and Phakhel. The porters also belonged to the vicinity of those areas. The cars were first brought to Kalkota (then Calcutta) and then to Amlekhgunj. The potters would make a cart and start carrying the car after removing the tires from Bhimphedi, the then headquarter of Makwanpur. The strong potters would take 2-3 days to reach Chunikhel, Thankot. From Chunikhel, the car would be taken to the palaces by driving. The Newari community with a surname of Balami who served as a porter for a long time switched their professions later to become businessmen and farmers. But Tamang community continued their work as porters. Hence historically, Makwanpur’s Tamang people are recognized as the car carriers.
The porters would have to carry the cars for free and they did it by turn. But later they would get a nominal wage as disbursed from the leader porter which increased to Re. 1 from an initial 5 ana. The leader porter would take Re. 1 extra as a commission.
Even today, the Mercedes Benz car rode by King Tribhuvan can be found abandoned in the scrapyard of Pulchok Engineering College but the whereabouts of car used by Prime Minister Chandra Samsher is still unknown. The vehicle used by Judhdha Samsher was taken to India by himself after renouncing the royal crown. So his vehicle can still be found running on Dehradun roads. King Mahendra’s car can be seen in Chhauni national museum. If you are a historian, a researcher or a connoisseur of vintage cars, then you can go to Nepal Motor Company, located in Lazimpat, Kathmandu to observe many cars used by families of Rana and Shah.
Don't forget to watch the video which this article is based upon.
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