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A Queen of Eastern Nepal, a city of Ex-Gorkhas, unity in
diversity, lies in the eastern part of Nepal. In the
distance of 540 KM from Kathmandu, the city is highly rich
with different culture, religion, natural beauties and
modern development
The town of Dharan was established when a thick jungle was
cleared for a small human settlement in 1890s. In 1902 the
then Prime Minister Juddha Sumshere Rana established a small
village at the foot of Vijayapur hillock and named
Chanrdranagar (now Purano Bajar), and steady growth of the
settlement got into a shape of town in course of time. It
was declared a municipal town in 1960. However, the history
of Vijayapur village goes back more than 225 years.
In the beginning, as it is told, there was a thick jungle
where the modern town of Dharan stands now. Fellers had set
up dharan (wooden platforms to saw logs). That's how the
town got it's name.
The British Gorkha Recruit Center was established in 1953
and this triggered the hubbub of a town. In 1962, Nepal was
divided into 14 administrative zones and 75 districts and
Dharan was made the Zonal Headquarters of Kosi Zone. At
first the town was divided into eleven wards, but in 1980
Banjjhogara Gaon Panchayat at the east and Ghopa Gaon
Panchayat at the west were added to Dharan Town Panchayat.
This expansion led to re-formation of the wards, and thus
the town was divided into nineteen wards.
Home of many different races, castes, creeds and ethnic
groups, Dharan is proud to be a center of education, health,
tourism and trade. And it's trying to come up not only as a
model municipality in the eastern region but also in the
whole of Nepal.
Although Dharan doesn't possess so many places of natural
beauty, it's a tourist center of the eastern part of the
country as it is the gateway to the eastern hilly districts.
It's a meeting point of mountainous region and the Terai
plains. The geographical location, climate, religious
shrines, places of tourist importance, and places of
religious and tourist importance at the vicinity of Dharan
make it an important destination of national and
international tourists.
The Vijayapur hillock at the foot of which Dharan lies, many
different temples and shrines of both religious and
historical importance, rituals and fairs in those shrines,
Bhedetar where it is cool all the year round, Charles Point
(Bhedetar View) where the British Prince Charles had
climbed, and Jatras and fairs growing in Dharan add to the
tourist trade developing in Dharan.
Dharan is the gateway to beautiful tourist attractions of
the eastern hills of the country: Dhankutta, Taplejung,
Kumbhakarna Himal, Kanchenjunga, Makalu-Varun National Park,
Arun Valley, Tinjure-Milke (Rhododendron Protection Area),
Gupha Lake, Hyatrung Fall, and Sabha Pokhari. These too add
to Dharan's importance as a tourist center.
Different castes, creeds, ethnic groups and their
traditional cultures and life-styles too add to Dharan's
importance as the tourist center. Lakhe naach and Gai jatra
of Newar people, Dhan naach of Limbus, Chandi naach of Rai
people, Selo of Tamangs, Rodighar of Gurungs, Baalan and
Sangini of Brahmin and Chhetris are other attractions of
Dharan.
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