Around Dharan
Dharan is a city in Koshi Zone, Sunsari district, eastern
NepalAcity of Ex-Gorkhas, unity in diversity, Dharan lies right at the foot of
hills, but the transformation when coming from Terai is dramatic. In the
distance of 540 KM from Kathmandu, the city is highly rich with different
culture, religion, natural beauties and modern development. Beautiful roads,
remarkable homes and natural beauty aren't all that makes Dharan. It embraces
cleanliness, openness, friendly hill people and their smiles. Dharan grew after
British setup the `Gurkha Recruitment Center' in 1953, which helped many
Nepalese earn employment. Two ethnic groups namely Rais and Limbus used to
constitute the major portion of Gurkah soldiers. These groups came from the
eastern region of Nepal, and Dharan was their center for training. The
population mainly consists of Mongolian origins. Dharan is Famous for temples,
scenery and cleanliness.
Dharan Town
Some of the terrific features of the city, A Queen of
Eastern Nepal, have been succeeded to attract the domestic and international
tourists including south Asian in thousands of number with in a year. Bhedetar
hill, all season cold, in the north of city is mostly liked by domestic and
Indian tourists. View tower and Charles point are popular to view the whole
hill, mountain and tarai of eastern region. A total view of Dharan, Itahari and
Biratnagar towns are possible from these points. The Tamor and saptakoshi
rivers running from the north and west border of Dharan have always been dream
of courageous rafters for white water rafting and bath.
Dharan is Famous for: It is known for having B. P. Koirala Institute of Health and Science,
over 25 Temples and holy sites, and scenery making it one of the important pilgrimage destinations of Nepal, and
Dharan is also the gateway to Nepal's popular tea growing region `Dhankuta'. It
is also known as environmentally friendly city, and a land of friendly and
lovely hill people with with smiling faces.
How to Reach Dharan: By bus or micro-van from Kakarbhitta or
Biratnagar. From Itahari, Dharan is only 20 minutes bus journey and Itahari is
well connected to all the other cities of Nepal. So anybody can come to Itahari
and then take a micro van or bus to Dharan. Kakarvitta and Biratnagar both are
on India-Nepal border and both are well connected to other major cities from
Indian side. There are direct long distance bus routes from Kathmandu and
Pokhra .
What to See and Do:
Temples like Dantakali, Budhasubba, Pindeshwori are places
you shouldn't miss. Budhasubba is famous for bamboos that dont have tips.
Couples write their names on the bamboo with the belief that they will have a
long relationship. B.P.Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan is one of
the best medical colleges in Nepal. You will find the institute great.
While you are in Dharan do not miss to go for rafting from
Tamor river to Koshi.
Bhedetar (Sheep's Butte) is a beautiful hillside only about
15km (and straight up) from Dharan. It marks the end of the Tarai (plains) and
the beginning of the foothills of the Himalaya. There are a number of lodges
along the way providing a nice view down to the south.
You can view the scenic beauty of Dharan from Charles Point
Bhedetar. You can visit many greenery parks like the Hariyali Park, Yalambar
Park and Saptarangi park. You can see many wild animals wondering around in
these parks.
Places to Visit in
Dharan
Temples: Dharan
is one of the holy places of Nepal. It has numerous temples; Pindeshwar temple,
Dantakali temple, Pancha Kanyan temple, and Buddha Subba temple. Many Hindu
pilgrims visit holi temples located in this region as well as those located in
other parts of Makwanpur District of Nepal
The Mountain Views of
Bhedetar: Bhedetar is located 9 Kilometer away from Dharan. When the sky is
clear (especially during Autumn season), one can witness magnificent views of
the Himalayan range, and enjoy fresh Himalayan breeze.
Pakhri Bash:Small hill village which had the British base camp built to Recruit Gurkha
Army. Some British monuments can be found here.
Dhankuta / Hile-Tea Gardens and Bazaar: From Dharan, about 50 Kilometers of what is the most
scenic drive in Nepal takes you to a place where your imagination of greenery
gardens are revealed. Some say, come to Dhankuta, if you want to walk in the
clouds. Meet the clouds, village folks, and greet the awesome enchanting tea
gardens here, and learn some on organic tea and tea processing units in Nepal.
If you are a tea lover, you will enjoy visiting a privately owned tea garden
and factory named Guranse. Also visit Hile, a hill town situated at 1850 meter
altitude, which is just 6 Kilometer from Dhankuta for the Hile Bazaar and
gracious people.
Basantapur: This
hill is located about 90 KM from Dharan, and about 1 KM from Hile. It is the
starting point for trekking to Kanchanjunga base camp. Beyond the hill,
beautiful forests Rhododendrons (Guranse in Nepali) can be seen. Guranse is the
Nepal's national flower.
Raja Rani Hill:Excellent spot to view Kanchenjunga, Khumbakarna, Makalu and Mt. Everest. The
hill is located 20 Kilometer from Dharan.
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