Dharan

Introduction

Dharan is a sub-metropolitan city in Sunsari District, in Nepal's Koshi Province, in the eastern part of the country. It sits within a region anchored by larger neighbours: Biratnagar and Itahari both outrank it in population, making Dharan the third most populous city in eastern Nepal. Its name comes from the Nepali word for a saw pit, a reminder of the timber-working past that shaped the settlement.

Dharan was established as the fourth municipality in the Kingdom of Nepal in 1958, giving it a longer formal civic history than many towns in the region. For a traveller, that combination of an eastern Terai setting and a distinct local identity makes it a worthwhile stop in Koshi Province.

Before you go

Dharan sits in the Sunsari district of eastern Nepal, south of the hill station Bhedetar in Dhankuta district and north of Itahari, and it serves as a gateway to the hills of the Mahabharat range. Because of that position, it sees a mild summer and a mild winter — not too hot, not too cold — so you can pack for temperate conditions rather than extremes. The city is known as a football town, and you may hear it called mini-Brazil.

If you are interested in how the city came to look the way it does, it is worth knowing a little of its modern history before you arrive. Under the Koshi Project agreement between Nepal and India, construction materials were quarried from deposits at Dharan and Chatra, and rail tracks were laid to link Dharan and Chatra to Bhimnagar to carry boulders for the Koshi Barrage. Rocks were moved to Ghopa by ropeway from the quarry site at Phusre, and the retention walls built to load them onto train wagons still stand, though in a ruined state — the place is now called "Reeting", probably a corruption of "Retention". Little trace of the rails or sleepers survives, apart from some culverts and masonry work, though a few steel rails have been re-erected as electricity poles at Chatra, along with an overhead water tank that once filled the trains.

Getting there

You can reach Dharan by bus or micro-van from Kakarbhitta or Biratnagar, both of which sit on the India-Nepal border and are well connected to major cities on the Indian side. The journey from Biratnagar is the shorter of the two, while the ride from Kakarbhitta takes longer.

Another option is to travel first to Itahari, which is well connected to the rest of Nepal's cities; from there, Dharan is only a short bus or micro-van ride away. Direct long-distance buses also run to Dharan from Kathmandu and Pokhra.

Getting around

Dharan is reached by road, and Bhanu Chowk — near the clock tower, and the city centre — is your orientation point. All long-distance buses and the city's buses, micro-vans and tempos start from the main bus terminus here, so it is where you arrive and where you return when you want to leave. Direct long-distance buses connect Dharan with Kathmandu and Pokhara, while buses and micro-vans run in from Kakarbhitta and Biratnagar on the Indian border. From Itahari, Dharan is a short bus journey, and a common approach is to reach Itahari first and continue by micro-van or bus. There is no rail, metro or tram network to use; the city's only historical railway was a narrow gauge line built to carry stone from Phusre to the Kosi barrage site, and it is local history rather than a transport option today.

Within the city, buses, micro-vans and tempos are the main public transport, alongside rickshaws and taxis. Coverage is basic and not extensive enough for seamless travel everywhere, so for anything off the main routes plan ahead and agree a taxi rather than expecting a frequent service. Central Dharan, especially around Bhanu Chowk, is relatively walkable, with shops, cafes and eateries within reach on foot. Outside the centre, sidewalks are limited and narrow roads carry heavy traffic, so take care on foot. Cycling infrastructure is underdeveloped and the foothill terrain poses natural challenges; a bicycle lane has recently been developed, but the overall network remains limited, so check your route in advance and ride defensively.

Where to stay

Accommodation in Dharan clusters around the main bus terminus at Bhanu Chowk, where you'll find a concentration of lodges and hotels. The lodges here are low cost, making this area a practical base if you're arriving or departing by bus and want to stay close to the transport links.

Food & drink

Dal Bhat is the most popular dish in Dharan, and you will also find restaurants serving Tibetan dishes such as Momo and Chowmin. A couple of restaurants serve halal food. Most of the good restaurants are within a kilometre of Bhanu Chowk, so that area is a sensible place to start your search for a meal. If you prefer cakes and ice creams, Haly's is the place to go.

For a drink, try Tongba, a local alcoholic beverage brewed from indigenous millet and a famous drink of Dharan.

What to see and do

Dharan's shrines are the sights you should not miss. Dantakali, Budhasubba, Pindeshwori and Bishnu Paduka are the temples to seek out. Budhasubba is known for its bamboos that produce no shoots and for the crows that do not fly around it; lovers inscribe their names on these bamboos in the belief that their relationship will last and remain inseparable. The B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences is also worth a look for its layout, spread across a wide area; the site began as a base for British Gurkha recruitment before it became a medical college.

For activity, rafting from the Tamor River to the Koshi is not to be missed. Bhedetar, or Sheep's Butte, is a hillside a short distance straight up from Dharan, marking the end of the Tarai plains and the start of the Himalayan foothills, with lodges along the way that give a view down to the south. From Charles Point Bhedetar you can take in the scenery of Dharan, and you can visit the greenery parks, among them Hariyali Park, Yalambar Park and Saptarangi Park, where wild animals can be seen moving about.

Three days in Dharan

Day one: Start in Dharan itself, in Sunsari District, Koshi Province, and get your bearings around Bhanu Chowk. From there you can head out to Ghopa and Phusre, and take in the character of this Nepali town at the edge of the Terai. Dharan sits below the Mahabharat range, so the air is warm and humid in the lowlands, turning cooler as you climb.

Day two: Make the short trip up to Bhedetar, on the road toward Dhankuta, for views over the plains and a break from the heat. If you continue along the same route you reach Dhankuta, and you can also look toward the Koshi Project and the Koshi Barrage, near Chatra and Bhimnagar, where the river crosses into India. The Koshi Barrage and its retention works are the reason the surrounding land is farmed so intensively.

Day three: Use Dharan as your base for the eastern Terai. Itahari and Biratnagar are both within reach, and Kakarbhitta lies further east on the Indian border. Direct routes also link Dharan with Kathmandu and Pokhra, so you can end your three days here or carry on westward. Wherever you go, the mix of Nepali town life and the flat, hot Terai makes Dharan a useful starting point.