The massacre was the stuff of American tabloids: SON SLAUGHTERS FAMILY IN SPAT OVER WEDDING. But the setting was the fabled city of Katmandu, and the alleged killer was heir to the throne of the world’s only Hindu kingdom. In a land where astrologers are thought to be able to divine the future, explanations for the murders began with accounts of star-crossed love. But there were also murmurs about drug use, international intrigue and a royal succession that had been prophesied many years ago.
It’s clear that the crown prince was trapped between the demands of tradition and his own modern yearnings. Although the monarchy had not wielded much power in Nepal since democratic elections in 1990, it served as a source of stability in a very poor country besieged by a Maoist insurgency. Yet the king was unhealthy, and pressure was building on the 30-year-old crown prince to marry. The queen had a specific spouse in mind, but Dipendra was in love with Deviyana Rana, who had an Indian mother. “The palace wanted someone very docile,” says a friend. The family may have also been wary of Deviyana’s ties to India, Nepal’s powerful neighbor.
In a bizarre twist after the murder, the Nepalese Privy Council named Dipendra the new king, even though he was brain dead. The man who seems certain to take the throne is the late king’s brother. Prince Gyanendra once served as a child king for a few days, and some astrologers later predicted he would become king again. Stranger still, Gyanendra’s son, Paras, was in the palace during the killings, and survived unscathed. Paras is a controversial figure who has been accused of running down pedestrians while driving drunk. “People will have a hard time accepting Paras as crown prince,” says one Katmandu resident, adding, “There are many rumors the Army will take over.” Whatever happens, a hallowed tradition seems to have come to a tabloid end.
