Arniko Rajmarg
Encyclopedia
The Araniko Highway connects Kathmandu with Kodari, 81 kilometres (50.3 mi) north-east of the Kathmandu Valley
, on the Nepal
-China
border. It is among the most dangerous of highways in Nepal due to extremely steep slopes on each side of the highway from Barabise onwards, massive landslides and bus plunges are not uncommon especially after rains. After some crumbling rough sections, it connects with China National Highway 318
to Lhasa
.
, about 30 kilometres (18.6 mi) from Kathmandu and at an altitude of 1585 metres (5,200.1 ft), is the last major village in the Kathmandu Valley through which the Arniko Highway passes. After Dhulikhel
the road descends into the beautiful Panchkhal
Valley. A road junction at Lamidanda, around 12 km from Dhulikhel, leads to Palanchowk. About five minutes' drive beyond the town of Panchkhal a dirt road takes off to the left, giving road access to the Helambu
region. About 8 km later the highway touches Dolaghat
, a thriving town at the confluence of the Indravati
and the Sun Kosi
rivers and the departure point for many rafting trips. The turn-off to Jiri
is another 14 km away, on the right. Lamosangu is a few kilometres after the Jiri turn-off, on the Arniko Highway. Next comes Barabise, the final destination for many buses from Kathmandu. Just before Barabise is the confluence of the Bhote Kosi
and Sun Kosi rivers. The remaining part to the Nepal border village of Kodari the road runs alongside the Sun Kosi
with extremely steep Himalayan mountainsides that are very prone to landslides during and immediately after rains (including monsoon
). Beyond Kodari is the border village of Zhangmu
in Tibet.
's commercial stranglehold on Nepal, as it is still currently cheaper to ship Chinese goods via Kolkata
than to truck them through China's Tibet region. The dynamics of this however is subject to change with heavy road/rail building investment on the Tibet side.
Kathmandu Valley
The Kathmandu Valley , located in Nepal, lies at the crossroads of ancient civilizations of Asia, and has at least 130 important monuments, including several places of pilgrimage for the Hindus and the Buddhists. There are seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites within this valley.-Etymology:The city of...
, on the Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
-China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
border. It is among the most dangerous of highways in Nepal due to extremely steep slopes on each side of the highway from Barabise onwards, massive landslides and bus plunges are not uncommon especially after rains. After some crumbling rough sections, it connects with China National Highway 318
China National Highway 318
China National Highway 318 runs from Shanghai to Zhangmu on the China-Nepal border. It is 5,476 kilometres in length and runs west from Shanghai towards Zhejiang, Anhui, Hubei, Chongqing, Sichuan, and ends in Tibet. One notable section of this road is the Si Du River Bridge, the bridge with the...
to Lhasa
Lhasa
Lhasa is the administrative capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China and the second most populous city on the Tibetan Plateau, after Xining. At an altitude of , Lhasa is one of the highest cities in the world...
.
Route
DhulikhelDhulikhel
Dhulikhel is the administrative centre of Kavrepalanchok District, Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 9812 people in 1624 households. Dhulikhel lies along the B.P. Highway and Arniko Highway. Arniko Highway connects Kathmandu, Nepal's capital city with Tibet's...
, about 30 kilometres (18.6 mi) from Kathmandu and at an altitude of 1585 metres (5,200.1 ft), is the last major village in the Kathmandu Valley through which the Arniko Highway passes. After Dhulikhel
Dhulikhel
Dhulikhel is the administrative centre of Kavrepalanchok District, Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 9812 people in 1624 households. Dhulikhel lies along the B.P. Highway and Arniko Highway. Arniko Highway connects Kathmandu, Nepal's capital city with Tibet's...
the road descends into the beautiful Panchkhal
Panchkhal
Panchkhal is a Municipality in Kavrepalanchok District in the Bagmati Zone of central Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 9481 in 1657 individual households....
Valley. A road junction at Lamidanda, around 12 km from Dhulikhel, leads to Palanchowk. About five minutes' drive beyond the town of Panchkhal a dirt road takes off to the left, giving road access to the Helambu
Helambu
Helambu is a region of highland villages in Nepal, close to Kathmandu. It is the home of the Hyolmo. The word Helambu derives from the word Yolmo or Hyolmo. The Helambu region begins at the Lauribina La pass and descends to the Melamchi valley...
region. About 8 km later the highway touches Dolaghat
Dolaghat
Dolaghat is a village development committee in Kavrepalanchok District in the Bagmati Zone of central Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 1714 and had 323 houses in it.-External links:*...
, a thriving town at the confluence of the Indravati
Indravati River, Nepal
-Kosi river system:The Kosi or Sapt Kosi drains eastern Nepal. It is known as Sapt Koshi because of the seven rivers which join together in east-central Nepal to form this river. The main rivers forming the Kosi system are – the Sun Kosi River, the Indravati River, the Bhola Koshi, the Dudh Kosi,...
and the Sun Kosi
Sun Kosi
The Sun Kosi or Matsang Tsangpo is a trans-boundary river and is part of the Kosi or Sapta Kosi river system in Nepal. It originates in Tibet Autonomous Region of China.-Etymology:...
rivers and the departure point for many rafting trips. The turn-off to Jiri
Jiri
Jiri is a village development committee in Dolakha District in the Janakpur Zone of north-eastern Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 7,138 people living in 1,508 individual households....
is another 14 km away, on the right. Lamosangu is a few kilometres after the Jiri turn-off, on the Arniko Highway. Next comes Barabise, the final destination for many buses from Kathmandu. Just before Barabise is the confluence of the Bhote Kosi
Bhote Koshi
The Bhote Kosi or Rongshar Tsangpo is a trans-boundary river and is part of the Kosi or Sapta Kosi river system in Nepal. It originates in Tibet Autonomous Region of China.-Etymology:...
and Sun Kosi rivers. The remaining part to the Nepal border village of Kodari the road runs alongside the Sun Kosi
Sun Kosi
The Sun Kosi or Matsang Tsangpo is a trans-boundary river and is part of the Kosi or Sapta Kosi river system in Nepal. It originates in Tibet Autonomous Region of China.-Etymology:...
with extremely steep Himalayan mountainsides that are very prone to landslides during and immediately after rains (including monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
). Beyond Kodari is the border village of Zhangmu
Zhangmu
Zhama Town, a.k.a. Zhangmu Town , is a customs town and port of entry located in Nyalam County on the Nepal-China border, just uphill and across the Bhote Koshi River from the Nepalese town of Kodari...
in Tibet.
Significance
The Arniko Rajmarg provides Nepal's overland link with China. However, it is of limited use in breaking IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
's commercial stranglehold on Nepal, as it is still currently cheaper to ship Chinese goods via Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
than to truck them through China's Tibet region. The dynamics of this however is subject to change with heavy road/rail building investment on the Tibet side.