Witnessing the decline and fall of a monarchy

As Nepal abolished its 239-year-old monarchy and declared itself a republic, my mind went back to the fateful June day seven years ago, when King Gyanendra, now the last monarch, ascended the throne.

He sat there on his throne adorned in full regalia, as the royal coach, drawn by four caparisoned white horses, moved slowly on its way. King Gyanendra was doing what his forefathers had done for over two centuries - he was riding the half-mile to the palace from the temple in the old royal courtyard where he, like his forefathers, had just been anointed.

Watching the ceremony in the crowd, it felt like being transported to the medieval world where such pageantries were the order of the day. The setting - the lovely Kathmandu valley nestling in the world's highest mountains, heightened the fairy-tale atmosphere. Also, Nepal's kings were no ordinary monarchs - they were, as the legend had it, reincarnations of the Hindu god, Vishnu.