The construction of physical infrastructure aimed at promoting internal tourism in the historic Udayapur Gadhi area, located within the Udayapur Gadhi Rural Municipality in the mid-hill region of Udayapur district, is progressing rapidly.
According to the Udayapur Gadhi Rural Municipality, the management of physical infrastructure, developed to enhance internal tourism at the historic Udayapur Gadhi, is nearing completion. The municipality’s Vice Chairperson, Jeet Bahadur Khadka, mentioned that significant progress has been made in the areas of water supply, electricity, and road management.
The municipality stated that the road leading from the district headquarters in Gaighat, through the Madan Bhandari Highway, to Panchawati Nepaltar in Udayapur Gadhi is in good condition. To reach Udayapur Gadhi from Nepaltar, visitors need to travel an additional nine kilometers. The construction of a paved road connecting Nepaltar to Udayapur Gadhi is currently underway, according to Acting Executive Officer Gunraj Shrestha of the rural municipality.
The municipality further informed that the paving of the road from Nepaltar to Udayapur Gadhi is expected to be completed by the upcoming month of Mangsir. The local government is also working on providing water supply to the Gadhi area, drawing water from the nearby Khar Khola. Currently, drinking water has been distributed to 234 households in the Gadhi area, with efforts ongoing to extend this service to an additional 80 households.
Furthermore, electrification work in the Gadhi area is progressing, with 75% of the region already connected to the power grid. The municipality’s Chairperson, Man Bahadur Magar, stated that the electrification of the entire Gadhi area is expected to be completed by the upcoming month of Chaitra.
A 50-foot-high view tower has already been constructed in Udayapur Gadhi. The area has been listed as one of the 100 destinations by the Nepal Tourism Board, and significant investments in infrastructure development have been made by the Tourism Department, Provincial Government, Federal Government, and local government, according to Vice Chairperson Khadka. Chairperson Magar added that with well-organized accommodations, hotels, and water supply, the physical infrastructure for tourism development in Udayapur Gadhi is expected to be fully completed by 2082 BS.
Currently, the Gadhi area sees hundreds of visitors daily, according to Tek Prasad Dhakal, Coordinator of the Udayapur Gadhi Rural Municipality Hotel Management Committee.
Historically, the Udayapur Gadhi area, along with Chaudandi Gadhi, was ruled by the Sen dynasty until 1826 BS. Social worker Bodh Prasad Ghimire noted that in 1826 BS, the Gorkha forces, led by commanders Abhiman Singh Basnet and Swaroop Singh Karki, attacked Chaudandi and Udayapur Gadhi, leading to its incorporation into the Gorkha state.
Another local social worker, Gopal Khatri, mentioned that after Udayapur Gadhi was merged into Nepal, the central government did not pay adequate attention to its development, causing the area to lag behind in terms of progress.
Although some developmental improvements were made after the restoration of democracy in 2046 BS, it was not until 2065 BS that efforts to develop and promote tourism began, according to Chairperson Magar. The Gadhi area still retains significant historical sites, such as King Udaya Sen’s palace, the cave where King Udaya Sen hid during the Gorkha attack, the temples of Udaya Sen’s family deity, Bishasaya Devi, Kali Devi of Gadhi, and Panchawati Devi, as well as a thousand-year-old banyan tree, noted Krishna Prasad Khatri, a 70-year-old local resident of Panchawati.
The local government is implementing a long-term plan to develop the Gadhi area as an internal tourism destination, with the physical infrastructure for tourism promotion nearing completion, according to Vice Chairperson Khadka.
