Hello Birgunj...!

It has been quite a while since my last post. I was on a trip to Nepal & India for a period of little over one month. And most of the time I was without internet facilities. Now, I am back with lots of memories which, I will try to share in coming days...

This post intends to introduce my home-town: Birgunj (though, it's not my birthplace; but I have spent most of my years here). On August 21, I was on the streets of Birgunj. I visited almost every place of importance , & tried to capture the views through my camera.

Birgunj, the second largest city in Nepal, is the commercial capital of the country. Some also call it the 'Gateway of Nepal'. Birgunj is an important land entry point for goods to Nepal. The city is considered as a stop-over for travelers, businessmen and pilgrims going to other destinations in Nepal as well as India. The city has several unique sightseeing experiences in store for the visitors.

Birgunj, the second largest city in Nepal, is the hub of trading and commercial activities. The city has unique sightseeing experiences in store for the visitors. The humble folks and farmers provide the tourists a chance to acquaint themselves with the way of Terai (low altitude, flat land) life of Nepal. It is situated about 3 KM from the Indian northern border Raxaul. It is the main entry point to Nepal from India through road transport. Majority of all the foreign goods shipped to Nepal by sea go through Calcutta (Haldia Port) to Raxaul to Birgunj then reach to main cities like Kathmandu. Hence, Birgunj is an important land entry point for goods to Nepal. Take a look of the famous Shankaracharya gate which, literally, can be termed as Gate way of Nepal.

The population of Birgunj is about three hundred thousand (300,000). Many multi lingual and multi ethnic groups can be found in this city. The city is simply taken as a stop-over place for travelers, businessmen and pilgrims going to other destinations in Nepal as well as India.

In the northwest part of Birgunj, Town Hall or City Hall has been uniquely built. It's architecture combines the traditional Nepalese temple design, with those of a modern civic utility. Below is an image of Town Hall , which was built in the year 1975-76.

In the vicinity, one can find the swimming pool complex, which is of International standards, along with a play ground.

Nearby is a large pond (pokhari), popularly known as Ghadiarba Pokhari Udyan, with a walkway leading to a hindu temple (Surya Mandir) in the middle. The main attraction of this place is beautiful musical fountain, boat-ride, green belt, walkway etc.

The tall Ghantaghar (clock tower) in the middle of the busy city is a dominant landmark . From here, the road to newly built bus park (shifted in 1994 from the old location) of the city is linked. Take a look of the clock tower in the image below:

In the out-skirts of the city, one can find the Vishwa Buddha Bihar. The term vishwa is derived from the word vicchu-wa which is translated as a resting place for vicchu(s) or Buddhist monks. The term vishwa thus means a resting place. In the ancient times the pilgrims stopped at Birgunj in the midst of their journey between Lumbini and Bodh Gaya (India). Vishwa is actually shaped like a stupa and has engravings of Lord Buddha facing the cardinal directions of the universe. This place has a tranquil ambiance and it attracts those tourists who want to flee the bustling life of the city.

Landlocked Nepal’s 'only' rail-connected Inland Clearance Depot (ICD) at Sirsiya (Birgunj) became fully operational during 2005, as a result of an agreement reached with India on rail access. The rail link is a 5.4 km long spur from the border town of Raxaul.

Tribhuvan University, Thakur Ram Multiple Campus is the oldest educational institution in the Terai. The Golden Jubilee of this campus was celebrated in 2003. It has one institute of Science and Technology and three faculties of Arts, Commerce and Education.

It is the place where I did study I.Sc. (Intermediate in Science & Technology; a proficiency certificate level).

National Medical College, affiliated to Tribhuvan University, is another well known educational institution in the city.

It is a multicultural city where Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists and other ethnic communities live together in peace and harmony. Hindus and Muslims constitute the major portion of its population. It is a multilingual city, the residents of which speak Nepali, Bhojpuri, Hindi, Urdu, English, Newari and other local dialects. Places of worship like temples and mosques can be found at short distances in the city.

Apart from the Indian railway, this city has good links of roads by which all the Indian Metropolitan cities have become quite accessible. Simra is the nearest Airport from where one can fly and arrive Kathmandu in about 15 minutes. Likewise, Morning, Day and Night bus services are readily available to and from Kathmandu. As for the climate, it is temperate with 8 c. lowest in the winter and 37 c. highest in the summer and the average rain fall registered during the rainy season is 80mm. Nice hotels and shopping centers can be found in the city. Royal Chitwan National Park is about 4 hrs. drive from here where one can go to enjoy the wildlife of Nepal.

Spending a day or two at Birgunj is recommended, and is worth it, to discover another taste of Terai of Nepal!

...It was a hectic yet an enjoyable journey in a bid to re-discover the city & refresh my memories! I hope you have enjoyed reading about my home-town.

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updated on 07 September 2008
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Here is a slide-show of the pictures that I took during my Birgunj trip. Hope you will like them...