Arjundhara Dham
A popular Shiva shrine and spring near Birtamod, linked to the Mahabharata hero Arjun.
Legend says Arjun, the Pandava archer, shot an arrow into the ground here to bring forth water, and the spring (dhara) has been sacred ever since. The temple complex, set among trees, is one of the busiest pilgrimage sites of the eastern Terai.
Crowds are largest at Shivaratri, Bala Chaturdashi and during the month of Shrawan, when devotees bring water to offer to Shiva. The site is easy to combine with a visit to the tea gardens of Jhapa and Ilam.
