Dharahara Tower opens formally for public from Sunday

Dharahara, which reopened to the public on Constitution Day this year, has started charging entry fees from Sunday. Over 90,000 people have climbed the new iconic tower for free since it opened on September 19. But from now onwards, the visitors need to pay Rs. 200 per person as entry fee. Students, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities will be given a 50 percent discount on the entry fee.

According to the Ministry of Urban Development a fee for visitors from SAARC countries is Rs. 500 per person, while those from non-SAARC countries will have to pay Rs. 1,000 each. Entry into the Dharahara premises will cost Rs50.

Fees for commercial activities are higher. For instance, it has been set at Rs5,000 per hour for videography, Rs1,000 per hour for photography, and Rs5,000 per hour for non-commercial advertisements on the Dharahara tower.

The government has declared Dharahara and five other structures, including Jhapa’s Damak View Tower, as ‘special structures’. The Urban Development Ministry has issued an order to facilitate their operation under a public-private partnership model, proposing to lease their management to private entities through competitive bidding. The rebuilt tower, equipped with two lifts, still faces occasional technical problems. Leaks during Tihar, caused by an improperly closed door at the top of the tower, temporarily affected the lifts, but the issue has since been resolved.