JHAPA, Jan 11: On the occasion of National Unity Day and the 304th Prithvi Jayanti, the Nepali Army conducted a cleaning programme at the historic Chandragadh Fort in Bhadrapur-10 on Saturday.
The programme, organised by the Aridman Battalion of the Nepali Army in Charali, was attended by personnel from the Nepali Army, Armed Police Force, Nepal Police, National Service Corps, journalists, and members of the general public. Durga Prasad Bhattarai, the then chairperson of the Chandragadhi Village Development Committee, said the place was named Chandragadh because it was a military fort built during the time of Rana Prime Minister Chandra Shumsher.
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Various efforts are being made to develop the site as a historical tourist destination at the initiative of Bhadrapur Municipality. Some researchers also link the place to mythological stories from the Mahabharata. Due to a lack of sufficient research and excavation, the archaeological significance of Chandragadh remains a mystery.
Saroj Thapa, chief commander of the Aridman Battalion, said that 185 people participated in the cleaning programme and stressed that, as a historical fort, Chandragadh needs to be protected and properly maintained. Locals say the fort was built to house an army unit during the reign of Rana Prime Minister Chandra Shumsher Rana during the Second World War to protect the eastern border.
It is also understood that the name of the city of Chandragadhi is derived from this historic Chandragadh, believed to have been built in the 18th century.
