10 Facts about Dharahara
About Dharahara:
Dharahara is a popular tourist destination located at Sundhara Kathmandu. Nine-storey tower provides a beautiful panoramic and aesthetic view of Kathmandu valley. The historically significant monument was completely knocked down in the 2015 earthquake. It has been damaged and reconstructed several times.
Here are some facts about old Dharahara:
Dharahara, also called Bhimsen Tower, is a nine-storey (50.2m) tall tower at the centre of Kathmandu. It was built in 1832 A.D. by the Prime Minister of the time, Bhimsen Thapa of Nepal. Thapa built the tower under the orders of Queen Lalit Tripura Sundari.
The first Dharahara was built eight years earlier in 1824 (1881 BS) at his residence, Janarala Bagh Bhimsen Thapa, situated at the south-east of Sundhara, near Bhotebahal of Kathmandu and got torn in half during the earthquake of 1834 and was never rebuilt. It was only a year later (in 1835) that Bhimsen Thapa built the second Dharahara, along with the Sundhara (the golden water spout), for Queen Lalit Tripura Sundari Devi. When it was built, the original tower had 18 storeys, reduced to 11 after another earthquake in 1934. It was destroyed in the 1935 earthquake and then Prime Minister Juddha Shumsher rebuilt it with nine storeys and a verandah.
Dharahara was the tallest building in Kathmandu until skyscrapers were introduced. The 203 ft tall Dharahara was the tallest building from where the panoramic view of Kathmandu valley could be seen.
Dharahara was not built as a view tower but actually, it was built as a military watchtower. The Dharahara made it easy to foresee any incoming attacks from neighbouring places. The military would monitor every angle of the Kathmandu Valley and if any suspicious activities are seen nearby, they would blow bulges from the top floor to warn and assemble the soldiers.
The architecture of Dharahara was designed in a Mughal and neoclassical style. It resembled an Islamic minaret. The statue of the Hindu deity Shiva was placed on top of the tower.
Dharahara was publicly opened after 2005 only. Before then, only authorised personnel were allowed to visit Dharahara. The eighth floor of the tower held a circular balcony for spectators which used to provide a panoramic view of the Kathmandu valley.
Crown Prince Surendra once dared Jung Bahadur Rana to jump off the 250 feet tall Dharahara. Jung Bahadur Rana asked the prince's permission to fabricate two umbrellas to act as parachutes for his jump.
Here are some facts about new Dharahara:
The new structure was officially opened by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, a day before the anniversary of the disaster.
The 7.8 magnitude earthquake in 2015 completely destroyed Dharahara with only the base remaining. The Dharahara is said to have been broken into two parts before falling to the ground. This killed many people who were there to view the panoramic view from Dharahara. Many were injured and survived the tragedy.
After the collapse of Dharahara in 2015, the new Dharahara was inaugurated on 24 April 2021, six years after the collapse. The new Dharahara looks similar to the old one.
New Dharahara is equipped with modern amenities. It stands 72m high (236ft) and has 22 storeys. It has a garden, a museum and a fountain, as well as two lifts to make it more accessible. The new Dharahara will have a mini-exhibition theatre on the 18th floor, a mint museum, a ‘Green Park’, a musical fountain, a vehicle parking area, a souvenir shop and a food court, among other attractions.
The tower is shaped like a minaret and offers views across the Kathmandu Valley. However, visitors will have to wait until later in the year to enjoy them, as there will be no access for the public until November. The new Dharahara is not open to the public yet.
Raman Construction Company Limited was the contractor for its construction. The new Dharahara has been built in the same architectural style as the old one but with a larger diameter.