Dharahara

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Darahara, queen Lalit Tripura Sundari's tower

Darahara (Nepali: धरहरा), also called Bhimsen Tower, is a nine storey (50.2m) tall tower at the center of Kathmandu. It was built in 1832 AD by the then Prime Minister Bhimsen Thapa of Nepal under the orders of Queen Lalit Tripura Sundari.

The tower has a spiral staircase inside containing 113 steps. The 8th floor holds a circular balcony for observers that provides a panoramic view of the whole Kathmandu valley. The tower has a 5.2m bronze mast on the roof. The tower has been open for the general public since 2005 for a small fee.

[edit] History

Dharahara is actually the second such tower made by Bhimsen Thapa. The original Bhimsen Tower was built in 1824 and was 11 storey high, 2 storey taller than Dharahara. Dharahara was actually built for queen Lalit Tripura Sundari, who was also the niece of Bhimsen Thapa. She wanted a tower of her own next to Bhimshen's Dharahara.

During the big earthquake of 1834, both the towers survived, despite Bhimsen's tower suffering severe damages. However, 100 years later, in January 15, 1934, the next big earthquake caused Bhimsen's tower to be completely destroyed but the two storeys of the the second tower remained. The then prime minister Juddha Shumsher renovated Dharahara to its current form. While the original Bhimsen Tower was obliterated, queen Lalit Tripura Sundari's tower got its name Bhimsen Stambha (tower) and is the only remaining Dharahara today.