The government has opened the Dharahara to the public on the occasion of Constitution Day on Thursday.
A Cabinet meeting held last Thursday had decided to temporarily open the Dharahara to the public on the occasion of Constitution Day, which falls on Ashwin 3 according to the Nepali calendar.
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli had inaugurated the Dharahara during his previous term in office on April 24, 2021. The Dharahara tower had already been completed by then, but other structures including underground parking had yet to be built.
The earthquake of April 25, 2015, had destroyed the old Dharahara, also known as the Bhimsen Tower. The ruins of the old tower can be seen behind the new Dharahara. The government is planning to preserve the ruins inside a glass enclosure for public viewing.
The original Dharahara, built by Bhimsen Thapa, had 11 storeys. It was reconstructed as a nine-storey tower after it was damaged in the 1934 earthquake.
The new Dharahara has 22 storeys, though it appears to be 11-storey high from the outside. It also has a three-storey underground parking area, where 400 four-wheelers and 700 two-wheelers can be parked.
The Dharahara complex spreads over an area of 42.2 ropanis. It also has a garden, a historical water spout, a museum, and a fountain.
