Dharahara Reopens, Draws Large Crowds on First Day

Kathmandu - Dharahara, the iconic tower of Kathmandu, has reopened to the public today, drawing large crowds eager to visit. The tower, which was destroyed in the 2015 earthquake, has been rebuilt and is temporarily open for free in celebration of Constitution Day.

According to the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction, the tower is seeing an overwhelming number of visitors on its first day, nine years after its collapse. Last week, the government decided to reopen the site temporarily, allowing visitors to climb Dharahara without charge until an entry fee is determined.

Koshnath Adhikari, head of the Central Project Implementation Unit under the department, said, “We had planned to allow 600 people daily to climb the tower, but by midday today, 2,500 people had already visited.”

He added, “Currently, about 1,000 people are observing the tower at once. The lines are long, and we have exceeded our initial limit. Visitors will be allowed inside until 3:30 PM, and the tower will close at 4:30 PM.”

Adhikari also clarified that the free entry is a temporary arrangement, and the fee structure will be decided soon. Visitors can book their tickets through the website dharahara.com.gov.np, which has been set up for online bookings as well.

History of Dharahara

Dharahara was originally built in 1826 by General Bhimsen Thapa on the orders of Queen Lalit Tripura Sundari. The 11-storey tower stood at 61.88 meters. Over the years, it has been destroyed and rebuilt several times, including after a lightning strike in 1875 and the devastating earthquake of 1934. After its reconstruction in 1936, it was reduced to nine storeys.

The 2015 earthquake once again completely destroyed the tower, but it has now been fully rebuilt and opened to the public.