Dharan (Nepali:धरान) is a sub-metropolitan city inSunsari District ofKoshi Province, in eastern Nepal, which was established as a fourth municipality in the Kingdom in 1958. It is thethird most populous city in eastern Nepal afterBiratnagar andItahari. The Nepali word "dharan" means a saw pit.^[1] The rainforest from which the tree trunks came is still just on the edge of the city.^[2][3] Much later the British Gurkha camp opened in October 1960.^[4] The use of the camp by British Gurkhas finished in the mid-1990s. Dharan has an estimated city population of 173,096 living in 34,834 households as per the2021 Nepal census. It is one of the cities of theGreater Birat Development Area which incorporates the cities ofBiratnagar-Itahari-Gothgau-Biratchowk-Dharan^[5] primarily located on theKoshi Highway in Eastern Nepal, with an estimated total urban agglomerated population of 804,300 people living in 159,332 households.^[6] It is the largest city in theKoshi Province by Area. It covers 192.32 square kilometers while Biratnagar and Itahari is 2nd and 3rd biggest cities by Area

Dharan धरान उपमहानगरपालिका
Sub-Metropolitan City
From Top: View of Dharan city, Dharan Clock tower
Motto(s):  "To build an environmentally sound city, functioning as the centre of education, health, tourism and business with fully developed infrastructure"
Dharan Show map of Koshi Province Dharan Show map of Nepal
Coordinates:26°49′0″N87°17′0″E / 26.81667°N 87.28333°E /26.81667; 87.28333
Country	Nepal
Province	Koshi
District	Sunsari
First Settled	1902
Established	1958
Upgraded to Sub-metropolitan city	2017
Founded by	Ratna Prasad Shrestha
No. ofWards	20
Government
• Mayor	Harka Raj Rai (Independent)
• Deputy Mayor	Aindra Bikram Begha (Maiost)
Area
• Total	74.26 sq mi (192.32 km2)
• Water	1.7 sq mi (4.4 km2)
•	108,600 sq mi (281,000 km2)
Highest elevation (NearBhedetar)	5,833 ft (1,778 m)
Lowest elevation (at Tarahara)	390 ft (119 m)
Population  (2022)
• Total	166,531
• Rank	15th (Nepal) 3rd (Koshi Province)
• Density	2,200/sq mi (870/km2)
• Ethnicities	Rai(19.4%)Limbu(13.01%)Newar(11.1%)Chhetri(10.7%)Tamang(7.3%)Bahun(7.1%)Kami(6.2%) Others (25.2%)
Languages
• Official	Nepali
• Additional	English, Limbu,Bantawa Sampang
Time zone	UTC+5:45 (NST)
Postal Code	56700 (Sunsari), 56702 (Mangalbare)
Telephone code	025
Climate	Cwa
Website	www.dharan.gov.np

Dharan is situated on the foothills of theMahabharat Range in the north with its southern tip touching the edge of theTerai region at an altitude of 1148 ft (349m). Dharan bazaar grew up near Phusre where the old walking route to Dhankuta and a large part of the Eastern hills left the plains with the ascent of Sanghuri Danra. In the days when villagers in the hills made their annual trek to sell and buy goods this was a natural location for a market where hills and Terai met. In 1952 the construction of the Kosi barrage began and a narrow gauge railway was built to take stone from Phusre loaded at a locality now known as "Railway" to the site of the barrage near the Indian Border.^[7] TheKoshi highway runs through the heart of the city thus connecting it with the provincial capital ofBiratnagar as well as theItahari junction of the east–westMahendra highway (lying 41 km and 17 km south, respectively), and the Nepal-China border ofKimathanka (lying 115 km north). The road from Biratnagar was originally built and surfaced in connection with the building of Ghopa Camp for the British Gurkhas. The road from Dharan to Dhankuta was financed by the UK and largely completed by 1982.^[8]

Dharan was the capital town of lowlandLimbuwan kingdom ofMorang. It was ruled byLimbu KingBuddhi Karna Khebang. King Buddhikarna Khebang was the descendant of the ruler King Muray Hang Khebang of Phedap Kingdom . Since 1584 AD till 1774 AD, Dharan-Bijaypur was the capital city ofMorang Kingdom ofLimbuwan. It was also effective capital of the entire Limbuwan region orTen Limbu Kingdoms which was also known as Pallo Kirat . Thus, in August 1774, theGorkha KingPrithivi Narayan Shah's representativesAbhiman Singh Basnet, Parath Bhandari, Kirti Singh Khawas and Bali Baniya met the ministers of Morang state and agreed to come to good terms with the Gorkha Kingdom and accept the Gorkhali king asMaharaja and that in return the kingdom of Gorkha would retain the right ofself-government ofLimbu rulers in their kingdoms.

City, which is connected with the historical importance of Bijaypur started its development since 1985 BS. Then Prime ministerChandra Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana established Chandra nagar (now purano bazaar) and primeministerJuddha Shumsher Jung Bahadur Ranaestablished Juddha nagar (now naya bazaar). City abstracted its name after "Dharan" (nepali word) a rectangular hollow dug under the ground and a low platform upon it for sawing logs with a big saw; one person on the platform and other below it. And, after the establishment of Dharan city, logs used to be widely split up here in "Dharan". It took its present shape when Bijaypur village panchayat and Ghopa village panchayat were merged into Dharan municipality in 2035 BS.

At the time of the 2011 Census of Nepal, 42.5% of the population in the city spoke Nepali, 10.1% Limbu, 7.4% Newar, 5.9% Rai, 5.9% Tamang, 5.8% Bantawa, and 22.4% spoke other smaller languages as their first language.

The largest single caste/ethnic in Dharan is Rai, who make (19.4%) of the population, Limbu comes to second with (13.01%), Newar makes (11.1%) of population Chhetri (10.7%), Tamang (7.3%), Hill Brahmin (7.1%), Kami (6.2%) and other various ethnic groups makes (25.2%) Of the population.^[9]

A study conducted in 2016 to analyze thebacteriological quality ofbottled drinking water and that of municipaltap water in Dharan found that one hundred percent of the tap water samples and 87.5% of the bottled water samples were contaminated withheterotrophicbacteria. Of the tap water samples, 55.3% were positive for totalcoliforms, compared with 25% of the bottled water, but no bottled water samples were positive forfecal coliforms and fecalstreptococci, in contrast to 21.1% and 14.5% of the tap water samples being contaminated with fecal coliforms and fecal streptococci, respectively. One hundred percent of the tap water samples and 54.2% of the bottled water samples hadpH in the acceptable range.^[11]

• Budha Subba: As an important and unique religious site to Nepali people, this temple holds immense cultural significance to the people of Dharan.^[12] Budha Subba temple is located a top the Bijaypur hills and the surrounding area is highly scenic.^[13]
• Pindeshwor Baba Dham: Pindeshwor Mahadev Babadham is the most famous Bolbam Mandir In Nepal. Every Monday in the month of Shrawan, a large number of devotees from different places come barefoot to pay tribute and faith to Lord Shiva with holy water from the Koshi River.^[14]
• Gurkha Memorial Park: This park was established "to preserve the legacy of Brigade of Gurkhas in Dharan for posterity before it is forgotten and lost forever",^[15] as many Nepalese men, many of whom were residents of Dharan, joined the Brigade of Gurkhas.
• Dharan Clock Tower
• Bhatabhungge palace (भताभुङ्गे दरबार)
• Dantakali temple (दन्तकाली मन्दिर)
• Osho park (B.P park)
• Yalambar park (यलम्बर पार्क)
• Green park (हरियाली पार्क)
• Saptarangi Park(सप्तरङ्गी पार्क)
• Sakela park(साकेला पार्क)
• Tara subba Children park
• Langhali park

• Newspapers: The people of Dharan are served by several daily local newspapers and national newspapers. There are 11 local newspapers in total. These includeThe Blast Times andThe Morning Times. National newspapers are also provided to the people of Dharan on a daily basis. National newspapers includeThe Kathmandu Post,Kantipur,Annapurna Post, andHimalayan Times. Several monthly neighborhood papers serve the town.
• Radio: The state-ownedRadio Nepal is broadcast on the medium wave on 648 kHz in the city. Five private local FM stations are available. They are Star FM - 95.6 MHz,Vijayapur FM - 98.8 MHz, Dantakali FM - 88.5 MHz, andRadio Dharan FM - 88.8 MHz. Radio Ganatantra FM 95.1 MHz is acommunity radio station. Likewise, Dharan has aBFBS Radio Relay station. It broadcasts on FM frequencies.
• Television: Nepal's state-owned television broadcaster,Nepal Television's relay station is present near its border, which provides two free-to-air terrestrial channels. A mix of Nepali, Hindi, English, and other international channels are accessible viacable subscription anddirect-broadcast satellite services. Dharan Cable Network broadcasts Kriti Television Channel as a local television channel that covers events in the city.

• Bhola Rijal, Doctor and lyricist
• Deep Shrestha, Singer and music composer
• Deepak Limbu, Singer
• Govinda Subba, First governor of Koshi Province
• Hari Nath Bastola, Politician
• Harka Raj Rai, Currentmayor of Dharan, social activist, and leader of public mobilization movement.
• Krishna Kumar Rai, Politician
• Malina Joshi,Miss Nepal 2011
• Malvika Subba,Miss Nepal 2002
• Minendra Rijal, Politician & MP
• Prashna Shakya, Singer
• Namrata Shrestha, Actress
• Miruna Magar, Actress
• Raju Kaji Shakya, Former captain of national football team
• Sabin Rai, Singer
• Subin Limbu,Miss Nepal 2014

• List of educational institutions in Dharan
• 2022 Dharan municipal election
• Bhanu Chowk