Dharan, located in the Eastern Development Region, is one of Nepal’s most beautiful cities, rich in cultural diversity. It lies in the Sunsari district of Koshi Province.

Dharan’s origins trace back to the Mahabharata era, with its historical and archaeological significance centered in the ancient city of Vijaypur, which once served as the Kirat capital. Legends of Satidevi’s tooth falling here and the 500-year-old Pindeshwor temple, restored by the King of Bengal, add to its mythological and historical importance. The city’s name is believed to have originated from the dense forests that were cleared to establish the initial settlements, with the term “Dharan” coming from the local practice of preparing wood.

While Vijaypur has long been inhabited, modern Dharan began as a small settlement in the 1950s, following extensive forest clearing. It was expanded by the Rana Prime Ministers Chandra Shamsher (Chandranagar, now Old Market) and Juddha Shamsher (Judhanagar, now New Market) in the 1960s. The establishment of the British Gurkha recruitment center in 1953 significantly increased the town’s population and activity, leading to its designation as a municipality in 1960. When Nepal was divided into 14 zones and 75 districts in 1962, Dharan was declared the headquarters of Koshi Zone.

Initially consisting of just 11 wards, Dharan expanded to 19 wards in 1978 by incorporating areas from the adjacent Banjhgara and Ghopa Village Panchayats. Later, in 2014, it integrated the Panchakanya VDC, expanding to 23 wards, and then incorporated the Bishnupaduka VDC, making it a sub-metropolitan city with 27 wards. However, following the Federal Restructuring Commission’s decision, Dharan was restructured into 20 wards.

Dharan is renowned for its diverse ethnic composition, its contributions to art, literature, culture, and sports, and its development into a well-equipped city with educational, healthcare, and tourist infrastructure. It is not only striving to be a model municipality in the Eastern Region but also in all of Nepal.

Highlights of Dharan:

• Geographical diversity stretching from the Terai to the hills (from Panipiya of Itahari Sub-metropolitan City to Sangurigadhi Village Municipality of Dhankuta).
• Surrounded by hilly terrain on three sides, with its own Charkoshe forest and extending from the Budhikhola River in the east to the Patnali River in the west.
• A temperate climate with significant altitude variation over short distances (ranging from 305m to 700m within 4 km).
• A mix of hilly and flat terrain, making it a unique convergence point of the hills and plains.
• A high concentration of retired British soldiers and a blend of warm Terai summers and cool highland weather.

Sub-Metropolitan Features:

• High public participation in infrastructure development, including schools, roads, water supply expansion, and waste management.
• A 20-year vision plan formulated by local leadership for long-term development.
• Policies, programs, and budgets based on this long-term vision.
• Strong partnerships with various national and international governmental and non-governmental organizations (e.g., udle/GTZ, UNICEF, TDF, Peace Corps, JICA, NSET-Nepal, SEAM-N).
• Leading in various fields, with computerized workforce information systems.
• Declarations and implementations of child labor-free, open defecation-free, and plastic-free zones.
• A child-friendly city and a horn-prohibited area.