Coronation in Katmandu

Monday, Mar. 10, 1975

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The pace of the modernization of Nepal is inversely proportional to the number of elephants that have been employed at its three most recent coronation ceremonies. The coronation of King Tribhuvan in 1913—witnessed by only one foreigner, the resident British ambassador—required the services of 109 elephants. The crowning of King Mahendra in 1956, attended by representatives of 15 of the growing number of nations with which the Himalayan kingdom then exchanged diplomats, required 43. For last week's coronation of King Birendra, the streets of Katmandu were aswarm with hundreds of foreign guests representing the some 60 countries with which Nepal now has relations. But only 23 elephants took part.

Assorted Maharajahs. Britain's Prince Charles was there with his granduncle, Lord Mountbatten, the last viceroy of India. So were the Crown Prince of Japan, the Governor General of Australia, the Presidents of Sri Lanka and Pakistan and the vice president of India. The somewhat modest U.S. delegation was headed by Presidential Counsel Philip Buchen and Senator Charles Percy of Illinois. Most prominent among the women guests was Imelda Marcos, First Lady of the Philippines, whose retinue of 40 included Mrs. Henry Ford II and Dr. and Mrs. Christiaan Barnard. They had been visiting the Marcoses in Manila and decided to come along for the party. Also on hand were a colorful assortment of maharajahs who, having lost their titles and privy purses in India, welcome the coronation of a Nepalese relative as a rare opportunity to display a little of their former princely glory.

Unfortunately, Katmandu's new electric-trolley line, the first in South Asia, was not finished in time for the celebration. But colored lights were strung like necklaces across the trees and temples of the capital, and fountains were brilliantly illuminated. Western hippies, who for years have regarded Katmandu as a kind of real-life Shangrila, were banished for the occasion; stray dogs were poisoned.

On the third morning of the festivities, King Birendra, 29, who actually took over the world's last Hindu monarchy three years ago after his father's death, rose early. Eight different kinds of clay were ceremonially applied to various parts of his body. After a ritual bathing with holy water, he was sprinkled with clarified butter, milk, curd and honey by representatives of the four traditional Hindu castes: a Brahman, a warrior, a merchant and an Untouchable. Only then was Birendra—also known as the King of Kings, the Five Times Godly, the Valorous Warrior, the Divine Emperor and the reincarnation of Vishnu, god of preservation—ready to be crowned.

Queenly Beehive. At 8:37 a.m., the propitious moment selected by court astrologers more than a year earlier, the royal priest placed the mammoth jewel-encrusted crown on the King's head and a diamond tiara atop Queen Aishwarya's beehive hairdo. Then came salutes from the King's loyal subjects, starting with three-year-old Prince Deependra decked out in a miniature military uniform. For the afternoon parade—music was provided by regimental bands, including one of Nepalese bagpipers—the royal couple rode on the King's tusker elephant, Prem Prasad, while the other 22 elephants carried many of the distinguished guests through the city.