ns an impressive collection of traditional utensils and handmade dolls and items typical of a

medieval Newar house, giving an important insight into Nepali history. The J Art Gallery near the
former royal palace in Durbarmarg displays the artwork of eminent, established Nepali painters.
The Nepal Art Council Gallery, in the Babar Mahal, on the way to Tribhuvan International
Airport contains artwork of both national and international artists and extensive halls regularly
used for art exhibitions.[70]
Literature[edit]
The National Library of Nepal is located in Patan. It is the largest library in the country with more
than 70,000 books in English, Nepali, Sanskrit, Hindi, and Nepal Bhasa. The library is in
possession of rare scholarly books in Sanskrit and English dating from the 17th century AD.
Kathmandu also contains the Kaiser Library, in the Kaiser Mahal on the ground floor of
the Ministry of Education building. This collection of around 45,000 books is derived from a
personal collection of Kaiser Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana. It covers a wide range of subjects
including history, law, art, religion, and philosophy, as well as a Sanskrit manual of Tantra, which
is believed to be over 1,000 years old.[70] The 2015 earthquake caused severe damage to the
Ministry of Education building, and the contents of the Kaiser Library have been temporarily
relocated.

Asa Archives

The Asa Archives are also noteworthy. They specialize in medieval history and religious
traditions of the Kathmandu valley. The archives, in Kulambhulu, have a collection of some 6,000
loose-leaf handwritten books and 1,000 palm-leaf manuscripts (mostly in Sanskrit or Nepal
Bhasa) and a manuscript dated to 1464. [70]
Cinema and theatre[edit]
Kathmandu is home to Nepali cinema and theatres. The city contains several theatres, including
the National Dance Theatre in Kanti Path, the Ganga Theatre, the Himalayan Theatre and the
Aarohan Theater Group founded in 1982. The M. Art Theater is based in the city. The Gurukul
School of Theatre organizes the Kathmandu International Theater Festival, attracting artists from
all over the world.[78] A mini theatre has been opened at the Hanumandhoka Durbar Square,
established by the Durbar Conservation and Promotion Committee.
Kathmandu has a number of cinemas (old single screen establishments and some new
multiplexes) showing Nepali, Bollywood and Hollywood films. Some old establishments include
Vishwajyoti Cinema Hall, Jai Nepal Hall, Kumari Cinema Hall, Gopi Krishna Cinema Hall and
Guna Cinema Hall. Kathmandu also houses some international standard cinema theatres and
multiplexes, such as QFX Cinemas, Cine De Chef, Fcube Cinemas, Q's Cinemas, Big Movies,
BSR Movies and many more.
Music