Description of the attraction
Dharahara, also called Bhimsen, is a 61.88 meter high nine-story observation tower, which until recently was located in the center of Sundhara in Kathmandu. It was built in 1832 by Mukhtiyar (this title corresponds to the title of Prime Minister) Bhimsen Tapa on behalf of Queen Lalit Tripura Sundari. The Dharahara Tower was part of the UNESCO protected architectural heritage of Kathmandu. Inside the tower there was a spiral staircase of 213 steps, along which one could climb to the observation deck, located on the eighth floor. This site worked around the clock. It offered a panoramic view of the Kathmandu valley. The tower was crowned with a spire more than 5 meters high, shining brightly in the rays of the sun.
Almost the entire tower collapsed due to the earthquake that struck Nepal on April 25, 2015. Only the base was not damaged. Under the rubble of the building, 60 dead people were found, mostly tourists. The tremors began at lunchtime, when there were many visitors on the observation deck of the tower. The restoration of the Dharahara Tower is scheduled for November 2017. Before the destruction, the tower was one of the most popular tourist attractions in Kathmandu.
Interestingly, the Dharahara Tower was exactly a copy of another building erected in Kathmandu at the beginning of the 19th century. That tower was called Bhimsen. It was irretrievably lost due to the 1934 earthquake. The Dharahara Tower was also damaged then, but much less than the Bhimsen Tower. Since then, the Dharahara tower has another name - Bhimsen.
