Crowds flock to Dharahara after reopening to the public
The tower has been made accessible free of charge for visitors in celebration of Constitution Day, as the entry fee has not yet been determined.
KATHMANDU: With the iconic Dharahara tower reopened to the public from today, large crowds have gathered to visit the site.
The tower has been made accessible free of charge for visitors in celebration of Constitution Day, as the entry fee has not yet been determined.
The Department of Urban Development and Building Construction reported that the first day of the reopening saw a heavy influx of visitors after the tower’s reconstruction following its collapse in the 2015 earthquake. The government had decided last week to temporarily open Dharahara to the public on Constitution Day.
Kosh Nath Adhikari, head of the Central Project Implementation Unit under the Department of Urban Development, mentioned that although the plan was to allow 600 people to visit Dharahara daily, by noon on the first day, around 2,500 people had already ascended the tower.
“Currently, around 1,000 people are inside at once,” Adhikari said. “We initially set a limit of 600 visitors per day, but due to the large crowd, more people than expected have already visited. We will allow visitors until 3:30 PM, and the tower will close at 4:30 PM.”
He emphasized that free access to Dharahara is a temporary arrangement, and the decision on entry fees will be made soon.
The Ministry of Urban Development had contracted GIETC Raman Construction Joint Venture Company to rebuild the tower. The “My Dharahara, I’ll Rebuild It” campaign was launched by then-Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on February 16, 2016.
The actual reconstruction began on September 30, 2018, under the supervision of the National Reconstruction Authority. The newly rebuilt Dharahara was officially inaugurated on April 24, 2021, by then-Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.
To book a visit to Dharahara, the Central Project Implementation Unit has set up an online booking system through the website “dharahara.com.gov.np,” where visitors can secure their slots.
History of Dharahara
The original Dharahara was constructed in 1825 by General Bhimsen Thapa under the orders of Queen Lalit Tripurasundari. The tower was 61.88 meters tall and had 11 stories. It was struck by lightning in 1856, causing it to collapse.
In 1924, the tower was restored. However, it suffered severe damage once again during the massive earthquake of January 15, 1934. Following this, it was reconstructed under the orders of then-Prime Minister Juddha Shumsher Rana, reducing its height from 11 to nine stories.
In 2015, the devastating April 25 earthquake completely destroyed Dharahara. After years of planning and reconstruction, the new Dharahara is now once again open to the public.
