Sunrise View
Pokhara, my maternal city—ever since I visited this place, the hill to the northeast, visible from my uncle’s house, has always fascinated me. It is called Kahun Danda. The white tower seen from the rooftop always made me wonder how they managed to build it up there.
After reaching Kahun Danda, I learned that the tower is called Kahun Darahara (View Tower) and was built in 2026 B.S. (1969/70 A.D.).
I had always wanted to visit this place since childhood but never got the chance.
After my marriage, my maternal uncles and other relatives from Pokhara invited me to visit them with my wife. Though my children are already 7 and 5 years old, I had never had the opportunity to take my family to Pokhara.
This year, my daughter asked me to take her there, and it was going to be my first long drive as well. The journey to Pokhara took 10 hours. It was an exciting drive, as the road from Kathmandu to Mugling was under construction, and so was the road from Mugling to Pokhara. However, many parts of the highway were smooth, with at least two lanes completed.
Most of our time in Pokhara was spent visiting relatives, but this time, I didn’t want to miss Kahun Danda. I had heard that it was now accessible by road.
I also wanted to meet Binod Shakya Dai, whom I first met in the USA when I was there for my studies. I asked him if we could go to Kahun Danda for sunrise photography, as I always felt that Sarangkot was too crowded. He was happy to take me there.
I asked my wife and kids to get ready by 5 AM to witness the sunrise at Kahun Danda. My daughter was especially excited, as she had never seen a sunrise before.
Binod Dai picked us up early in the morning, and we reached Kahun Danda just 10 minutes before sunrise.
At that moment, my daughter was the happiest girl in the world as she watched the sun rise behind the small hills east of Kahun Danda. For me, it was a surreal experience—finally witnessing the sunrise from the very place I had dreamed of since childhood.
Another thing I loved about this location was the tranquility. Unlike Sarangkot, where photographers crowd the area, here, it was just the five of us, making the experience even more special.
However, something was missing—the snow-capped Machhapuchhre Himal, also known as Fishtail. Perhaps due to global warming, for the first time in my life, I saw this majestic peak as a black rock, stripped of its usual white blanket of snow.
But despite that, the most mesmerizing moment was just before sunrise, when the high mountains were bathed in the warm orange glow of the sun’s first rays.
For my kids, their first impression of Machhapuchhre was that of a black rock, so different from the pristine white peak we remember from our own childhood.
Kahun Danda has the potential to become the next must-visit sunrise spot in Pokhara—a peaceful alternative to Sarangkot and a fresh destination for frequent visitors to the city.
Here are some pictures from the sunrise at Kahun Danda.
Macchapuchure with first ray of sun
Annapurna Range
Annapurna range
Sunrise and clouds covering east of Pokhara valley
Sarangkot hill, old newar seattlement area and Hemja
