Dharan
A lively city at the foot of the hills, known for its Gurkha heritage, food, and the temples of Budha Subba and Dantakali.
Dharan sits where the plains meet the first ridges of the Mahabharat. For decades it hosted the British Gurkha recruitment camp (now the BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences), and many families of Limbu, Rai and Gurung ex-servicemen settled here, giving the city a cosmopolitan feel and a strong food culture — try pork sekuwa and tongba.
The Budha Subba temple, a Kirat shrine among bamboo groves, is famous for its bamboo without tips, and the hilltop temples of Dantakali, Pindeshwar and Panchakanya are important Hindu pilgrimage sites, especially during Shrawan. Bhedetar and its viewpoint lie just up the road.
