Real estate prices at Bhedetar in Eastern Nepal have soared as the once barren hills are giving way to resorts, guesthouses and picnic spots. The place has slowly but surely begun to bustle in hopes of being a one-in-Asia tourist spot. Story by Jagadish Pokhrel.
Just 16 kilometres of meandering roads and rolling hills up north of Dharan, the hilltop of Bhedetar has a cool thing on offer: a captivating view of the vast expanse of Terai plains as well as some icy summits. Thousands of picnickers are already flocking to this small township of less than a hundred roadside hotels and houses on the British-built Dharan-Dhankuta Highway.
Real estate prices here have soared as the once barren hills are giving way to resorts, guesthouses and picnic spots. The place has slowly but surely begun to bustle in hopes of being a one-in-Asia tourist spot.
The hopes, however, could take time before they are realised. Nonetheless, local authorities seem optimistic and are busy working on a plan for Bhedetar of tomorrow. Jagat Bahadur Rai, the village's vice-president, has a wish list of works to accomplish: building two staircases leading up to Sailungdanda, construction of a park-picnic spot, rehabilitation of the historic Panchakanya fort ruins, which, Rai says, remind visitors of modern engineering, developing a 200ft waterfall for sightseeing and popularising the temple of Pathivara.
"Estimates have been made of the staircases for Sailungdanda where Prince Charles of Britain had stopped and looked around," says Rai. "We can develop up to ten sites of visitors' interest in our neighbourhood by mobilising external and our own limited resources"
Sailungdanda, which is famous as Charles Point, is a peak standing atop the roadside of Bhedetar from where visitors can see Damak Municipality of Jhapa to the east, Saptakoshi to the west and the city of Biratnagar to the south. At a clear night, Dharan glows right below under a light that of colourful stars.
"You can let your eyes wander around as far as they can reach," says Rai. "To the north you get a view of Mt. Makalu, Mt. Kumbhakarna, a side of Mt. Everest and the eastern headquarters of Dhankuta," he adds.
A few hours' hike away, there are other attractions too-- Dhajedanda hilltop at 2047 metres brings in view 16 districts of the region, a grand sunrise and a full-fledged Mt Everest. And Dandabazaar boasts a banyan or Bar tree, believed to be the biggest in Asia. Besides, Rai dances during the paddy harvest season and hurra dances that bring in married women to their parental homes still survive, says Rai of the cultures of 3000 Bhedetar villagers, about half of whom are eligible voters.
Despite all these attractions and prospects of Bhedetar growing, Dil Kumar Thapa, who has been running a highway hotel since 1990, does not think smaller businesses like his will benefit much. "Well, it is the new resorts and guesthouses that stand to benefit," he says. "That resort was inaugurated with cartons of beer flowing to all of us and big people giving speeches. But you never know if it actually comes into operation," Thapa says pointing at a hill slope across the road. "It could just be that the useless slope fetches a good price after all that hype and is sold."
Teacher Kumar Dahal of a local school shares Thapa's views of Bhedetar's prospects but believes it indeed is a cool place to be. "Bring in the harvest from the hot terai and enjoy living in the nearest place which is so cool and beautiful," Dahal says. "That's the reason why picnickers come here from as far as Darjeeling or Sikkim in India."
Most, however, come from Dharan and give the local bus operators and police a hard time dealing with them. "In New Year or in Fagu festival, we go on a special alert," says Head Constable Om Bahadur Baniya. "Picnickers are drunk, hugging and kissing in the fashion of Europe," Baniya says. Another head constable Ambika Oli adds: "There are jungles and the atmosphere is such that you feel like drinking. One who does with beer elsewhere goes for hard drink here."
Lok Bahadur Tamang of Buddhabhakta Travels recalls a brawl between picnickers and bus operators that began as a haggling over fare and culminated in a court case. "We don't stop buses on Saturdays and Mondays when Dharan closes," he says. "Girls and boys-- all on an outing to Bhedetar will be drunk."
As the Darjeeling of Nepal draws boys and girls to drinking and freestyle flirting, people seem prompt to dub what goes on in there as prostitution. "We cannot check that," says Baniya. "It's tough to chase drunken girls away,"adds Oli.
Write us your opinion about this article at feedback@newslookmag.com
Just 16 kilometres of meandering roads and rolling hills up north of Dharan, the hilltop of Bhedetar has a cool thing on offer: a captivating view of the vast expanse of Terai plains as well as some icy summits. Thousands of picnickers are already flocking to this small township of less than a hundred roadside hotels and houses on the British-built Dharan-Dhankuta Highway.
Real estate prices here have soared as the once barren hills are giving way to resorts, guesthouses and picnic spots. The place has slowly but surely begun to bustle in hopes of being a one-in-Asia tourist spot.
The hopes, however, could take time before they are realised. Nonetheless, local authorities seem optimistic and are busy working on a plan for Bhedetar of tomorrow. Jagat Bahadur Rai, the village's vice-president, has a wish list of works to accomplish: building two staircases leading up to Sailungdanda, construction of a park-picnic spot, rehabilitation of the historic Panchakanya fort ruins, which, Rai says, remind visitors of modern engineering, developing a 200ft waterfall for sightseeing and popularising the temple of Pathivara.
"Estimates have been made of the staircases for Sailungdanda where Prince Charles of Britain had stopped and looked around," says Rai. "We can develop up to ten sites of visitors' interest in our neighbourhood by mobilising external and our own limited resources"
Sailungdanda, which is famous as Charles Point, is a peak standing atop the roadside of Bhedetar from where visitors can see Damak Municipality of Jhapa to the east, Saptakoshi to the west and the city of Biratnagar to the south. At a clear night, Dharan glows right below under a light that of colourful stars.
"You can let your eyes wander around as far as they can reach," says Rai. "To the north you get a view of Mt. Makalu, Mt. Kumbhakarna, a side of Mt. Everest and the eastern headquarters of Dhankuta," he adds.
A few hours' hike away, there are other attractions too-- Dhajedanda hilltop at 2047 metres brings in view 16 districts of the region, a grand sunrise and a full-fledged Mt Everest. And Dandabazaar boasts a banyan or Bar tree, believed to be the biggest in Asia. Besides, Rai dances during the paddy harvest season and hurra dances that bring in married women to their parental homes still survive, says Rai of the cultures of 3000 Bhedetar villagers, about half of whom are eligible voters.
Despite all these attractions and prospects of Bhedetar growing, Dil Kumar Thapa, who has been running a highway hotel since 1990, does not think smaller businesses like his will benefit much. "Well, it is the new resorts and guesthouses that stand to benefit," he says. "That resort was inaugurated with cartons of beer flowing to all of us and big people giving speeches. But you never know if it actually comes into operation," Thapa says pointing at a hill slope across the road. "It could just be that the useless slope fetches a good price after all that hype and is sold."
Teacher Kumar Dahal of a local school shares Thapa's views of Bhedetar's prospects but believes it indeed is a cool place to be. "Bring in the harvest from the hot terai and enjoy living in the nearest place which is so cool and beautiful," Dahal says. "That's the reason why picnickers come here from as far as Darjeeling or Sikkim in India."
Most, however, come from Dharan and give the local bus operators and police a hard time dealing with them. "In New Year or in Fagu festival, we go on a special alert," says Head Constable Om Bahadur Baniya. "Picnickers are drunk, hugging and kissing in the fashion of Europe," Baniya says. Another head constable Ambika Oli adds: "There are jungles and the atmosphere is such that you feel like drinking. One who does with beer elsewhere goes for hard drink here."
Lok Bahadur Tamang of Buddhabhakta Travels recalls a brawl between picnickers and bus operators that began as a haggling over fare and culminated in a court case. "We don't stop buses on Saturdays and Mondays when Dharan closes," he says. "Girls and boys-- all on an outing to Bhedetar will be drunk."
As the Darjeeling of Nepal draws boys and girls to drinking and freestyle flirting, people seem prompt to dub what goes on in there as prostitution. "We cannot check that," says Baniya. "It's tough to chase drunken girls away,"adds Oli.
Write us your opinion about this article at feedback@newslookmag.com
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