A transport and commercial hub of Dharan, Sunsari, Bhanu Chowk comes alive with street food vendors, small businesses, and groups of friends in the evenings. With the approaching Dashain festival, the return of travelers to their home district has kept it busier during the daytime with crowds, while the evenings have bustled with people looking for food, shopping, and mingling. The busy scene reflects the significance not only as a transport hub, but as a place of local buying and selling, interaction, and Dharan’s identity.
Street food vendors drive evening activity in Bhanu Chowk
As the flow of buses and other large vehicles starts to slow down in the evenings, the roadside food stalls become more and more busy with people who come to enjoy momo, chow mein, and egg rolls, while having their tea after a long day at the nearby tea shops. The festive season with growing crowds has been a good opportunity for the small traders too.
Anita Rai of Dharan-8 has been selling momo, chow mein and egg rolls from a roadside cart for the last 10 years at Bhanu Chowk. Having finished household chores and food preparation in the morning, she reaches the chowk at around 5 p.m. and continues selling till 9:30 p.m. with the help of her daughter.
Rai said the business has helped her to manage the household expenses and support her children’s education. The plate of snacks, which used to have a price of about Rs. 35-40, has now increased to around Rs. 70.
Nira Magar of Dharan-15 has also been running a similar business at the chowk for the last nine years. She said she used to sell roasted corn and potato chops for four years before shifting to selling momo, chow mein and egg rolls to increase her income. Magar begins her business around 6 p.m. and continues till 10 p.m.
She said that working on the roadside chowk used to be uncomfortable and scary for her at first, but that she has become used to it now. And with the festive season coming, she said she has also gained some good business.
A popular meeting place for residents and young people
Besides serving as a commercial center, Bhanu Chowk has also become a familiar place for the people of Dharan to gather in the evenings, sitting on chairs outside the tea shops, enjoying the roadside snacks, catching up on the gossip, and enjoying time with friends. Young people also gather to take pictures and videos, sing songs, and have fun amidst the festive lights. For many, it is a convenient place to relax in the evenings after the long day of work.
With the growing evening activity, the small traders benefit as much as the local economy. Kisan Maskey, vice-president of the Sunsari Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the activity generated by the roadside vendors and small businesses has a significant role in the local economy. The business of food, shopping, and interaction, together with the distinctive atmosphere of the chowk, makes it a popular place in Dharan city.
Bhanu Chowk’s historical significance and changing identity
Located in Ward 2 of the Dharan Sub-Metropolitan City, the Bhanu Chowk has been among the main commercial and transport centers of the city. The chowk derives its name from the statue of the renowned Nepali poet Bhanubhakta Acharya, located at the chowk. The local resident of Bhanu Chowk Birkhalal Tamang said the area had also been a place where political rallies, demonstrations and literary events took place, especially during times of political upheavals.
The area has also changed much over the years. According to the 75-year-old Krishna Bhakta Shrestha, who has been selling newspapers in Dharan for years, the place used to have mostly small tin-roofed buildings and tea shops where people gathered to discuss political and social issues. The construction of Dharan’s clock tower beside the chowk had added to its identity. It was constructed after the 1988 earthquake with a contribution of Rs. 5.6 million by the Nepalis residing in Hong Kong and Macau and completed in 1991. Since then, the commercial activity and traffic have only grown, making it an important center of the city.
Festival crowds bring traffic management challenges
Being a transport and commercial hub of Dharan, the Bhanu Chowk serves as a departure and arrival point for vehicles going to different parts of the city as well as districts like Khotang, Bhojpur, Dhankuta, Taplejung, Panchthar, as well as Biratnagar and Jhapa. The increased number of passengers during the Dashain period makes it crucial to manage traffic and travelers’ safety. Anil Mabohang Limbu, chief of the District Traffic Police Office in Dharan, said that special attention has been given to the busy junction for the festival period.
The traffic police are checking up on the passenger arrangements and vehicle management to help people going to their home districts have safer travel. Although the number of large vehicles declines in the evening, motorcycle, tempo, and electric safari traffic, along with indiscriminate parking, can narrow the road space, causing congestion. The traffic police are working in coordination with the ward offices and municipality to manage the increased traffic volume as the crowds grow.
Source-RSS
