Dharahara has opened in Kathmandu. The “re-erected” tower was officially opened today (Bhadra 03, 2081) nine years after the 2072 earthquake turned it into rubble. Now, everyone can enter and climb up the 22-story tower and enjoy the panoramic view of the capital. Here, we let you know about the opening time, online booking, ticket prices, and other details about this monument. Keep reading.
The government opened the Dharahara Tower for the public in Sundhara on the occasion of Constitution Day 2081. And for now, entering the skyscraper is free of cost until the next decision by the government.
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Dharahara online ticket booking
For now, Dharahara tower opens for the public from 10:00 AM till 04:00 PM. However, it requires advance online booking to enter it. To book your entry into Dharahara, you need to visit the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction’s website dharahara.gov.np. You can book the tickets thereby selecting the date, time, and no of tickets. Remember only 100 tickets are allowed for a particular 1-hour period which starts from 10:30 am to 3:30 am. Then if the slot is allowed for the no. of persons, you are visiting, you need to enter your address, number, Name, and identification details too.
After entering the details, you will get your pass having the bar code of the ticket.
The department could also launch an app for booking online tickets for a visit to Dharahara but for now, the website is the sole option.
How to book Dharahara ticket online?
The process to book your ticket to visit Dharahara is below:
- First, visit dharahara.gov.np
- Click on DHARAHARA BHARAMN GARNUHOS
- Select the data, time, and the number of tickets
- Click on NEXT
- Enter your Address, Contact Number, and email
- Click on NEXT again,
- Enter details of the visitor, and provide the unique number of your document- LIcense, citizenship, passport, others
- Then click on ISSUE TICKET
- When everything is entered correctly, you are issued a bar code which you need to keep and show at the entrance to the Dharahara upon your visit.
Dharahara opening is a trial at present
Deputy Director General Koshnath Adhikari said that visitors need to book their tickets a day before the date of their visit to Dharahara. “There is a technical problem for booking from the website,” he shared. While booking online, a bar code will be generated which needs to be shown at the gate to the Dharahara to board.
Although he said that the website was not functioning earlier, it seems to be working now. Therefore, you can book your reservation by following the above-mentioned steps. If that doesn’t work, then you can resort to an alternative arrangement that is you will get a coupon to visit the Dharahara.
Maniram Gelal, secretary of the Ministry of Urban Development, said that Dharahara has now been temporarily opened. “After long, there may be some shortcomings while operating the Dharahara,” he said. Therefore, only 600 people are allowed to climb the Dharahara per day.
Out of 600 people, 500 people shall be those who booked their entry online, and 100 people who are disabled and senior citizens who can’t make a reservation will be allowed.
For families, up to 4 members, parents, and children can have their booking reserved online.
A free parking facility has also been provided while some works are left in the basement.
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Ticket price
As mentioned above, the government has opened the Dharahara as a trial to see how everything works. So, for the time being, it’s made completely free to enter the tower. However, after the construction and other technical works are completed, the government may start charging. At that time, the authority shall officially set ticket prices for Dharahara.
For now, it’s a privilege the government has afforded to everyone for free entry to the country’s one of the most iconic engineering marvels.
Operating time
Out of the operational 6 hours (from 10:30 am to 3:30 am), Dharahara has 1 hour of snack break. We believe that during this time, entries are not entertained. During the other 5-hour period, up to 100 visitors will be allowed at a time.
“It is going to be seen as a test, what will be the reaction, what will be the number of passengers, then if necessary, arrangements can be made to go up to 1,000 in one day,” Gelal said, “We will improve it based on operational experience.”
Facts history about the Dharahara
The newly-built Dharahara is an elevated resurrection of the original one built under the country’s first prime minister Bhimsen Thapa in 1835 BS (1778 AD). The original structure had 18 storeys that lowered to 11 floors after being impacted by a 1934 earthquake.
It has 2 basement floors and 22 other floors. The entire tower stands at the height of 80 meters spanning across 42 ropani land while its foundation is 48 feet. Its parking lot offers space for 350 four-wheelers and 6,000 two-wheelers.
Spanning 42 ropani of land, the premises of the tower will have a garden, a museum, a colorful fountain, an exhibition hall, a parking lot, shops, and a stone spout. There is a garden, exhibition hall, parking, fountain, etc. for its beautification.
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The new Dharahara is constructed by Raman Construction which was awarded the contract for Rs 3.48 billion. There are two elevators in the Dharahara with each accommodating 10. Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL) is responsible for the water needs while Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) provides a dedicated feeder line for the Dharahara. The entire area also has a 24×7 presence of Nepal police