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Discovering Dharan
Modern Nepal's Modern City
by SWAPAN PRADHAN
| FROM ISSUE # 131 (November 2006) | IN THIS ISSUE | |||
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Everyone knows some things about Dharan—it was once a major British Gurkha recruitment centre; it's the gateway to Nepal's eastern tea-growing regions, like Dhankuta; it's home to the BP Koirala Institute of Health and Sciences (BPKIHS); it's peaceful and prosperous. That's just the surface. Dharan is great urban holiday: the pace of life here is laidback, the cultural and natural attractions are diverse, and the lifestyle representative of modern, tolerant Nepal. At just 330m, Dharan is a full 1,000m lower than Kathmandu, and just over a third the altitude of Pokhara. Except for a couple of summer months, the weather is pleasant in this little corner of the eastern tarai's foothills.
DESTINATION: Dharan 
GETTING THERE: Use the East-West Highway; it's a 10-hour bus ride from Kathmandu, or an hour-and-a-half on a local or microbus from Biratnagar.
HOW MUCH: Rs 4,000 for a week, inclusive of bus fare, budget lodging, meals, and local transport.
WHAT TO TAKE: A camera for the sights, a taste for tea, tongba, and traditional dancing.
WHEN: Dharan is a great short trip any time of year, though be warned, it's hot in the summer.
ACCOMODATION: It's an urban centre, there are many hotel and lodges with a range of tariffs.
LOCATION: Sunsari District, Eastern Development Region
Dharan is best known for having been a British Gurkha recruitment centre from 1953 to 1989, during which time many young men of the Rai and Limbu communities signed up, served overseas, and sent back the remittances that make parts of east Nepal so well-off. 
A must-see is Pakhri Bash. This cute little hill village is where most of the recruitment happened, and there are British monuments to explore on walks.
The foundations of the city are older, though, and were laid in 1902, when then-Prime Minister Juddha Sumshere Rana visited what was a small foothills village surrounded by lush forests. He renamed it Chandranagar, and it soon became a timber centre, getting its current name from the wooden platforms, dharan, used to saw logs.
But more than the Ranas, the greatest cultural influences here are a result of the Gurkha connection and, more recently, the BPKIHS. Dharan's distinctive landmark, the majestic Bhedetar hill, is also called Charles Point, after a visit by the prince. There's even a Charles tower on the peak, from where you have a panoramic view of the fort, hills, waterfalls, and forests. On a clear day you can see far down the tarai, and high into the east Himalayas. You can hike up or drive up the winding road, and the peak is a cool getaway on the hottest summer's day.
A little further away, Raja Rani hill on a clear day shows off the best of east Nepal's Himalaya, from Makalu and Everest to Kanchenjunga and Kumbakarna.
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On any given day, at a party, festival, or any marriage, you have a chance of seeing everything from the Rai Chandi naach, the Limbu Dhan naach, Lakhe naach and Gai Jatra of Newar people, to the Tamang Selo, Gurung Rodhighar, and Baalan and Sangini of Bahuns and Chhetris.
Religion is a big deal here, but not in the way that you might think. Sure, Dharan is something of a pilgrimage site for Hindus with the Dantakali, Buda Subba and Singh Bahini temples. But there's also Buddhist, Muslim, Christian, and animist cultural elements.
Dharan is also a tourist centre for the Eastern part of the country, as it is the gateway to Dhankuta, Taplejung, Kumbakarna himal, Kangchenjunga, Makalu-Barun National Park, Arun valley, Sabha pokhari and more.
Dharan bajar itself is admittedly not terribly beautiful, but in addition to Bhedetar and Raja Rani hill, it's a great starting point for short hikes and longer treks. If you have a couple of extra days, a visit to Basantapur, the starting point for the tough Kangchenjunga base camp trek, or the lovely village of Hile near Dhankuta, are great add-ons to a Dharan visit.