Siddharthanagar
Encyclopedia
This article is on the Nepali town. For the district in Uttar Pradesh, see Siddharthnagar District.
Siddharthanagar (formerly called Bhairahawa)is a municipality near the India
n border on the Outer Terai
plains of Nepal
, 265 km (164.7 mi) west of Kathmandu Nepal's capital. Siddharthanagar is the administrative seat of Rupandehi District
although Butwal
to the north is the district's largest city.
a manifestation of Shiva
. Siddharthanagar is from The Buddha's
given name Siddhartha. The name Siddhartanagar was given by Komal Dutta Tiwari.
is the national language, natively spoken by substantial numbers of who have moved down from the hill districts.The population of Siddharthanagar in 2009 was 95,000.
s are in the majority, with a significant minority of Muslims
and Buddhists associated with sites commemorating Gautama Buddha
's life and relics.
-- 3 kilometers from the center—has daily flights to Kathmandu
.
A narrow gauge branch of Indian Railways
from Gorakhpur
approaches the international border at Nautanwa
, but passenger trains are infrequent on this line. The alternative of taxi travel from the border crossing at Sunauli to Gorakhpur takes about two hours. From Sunauli, Siddharthanagar is only 3.5 kilometers. Total travel time is 12 – 18 hours from Dehli and 10 – 12 hours from Kolkata
(Calcutta).
Siddhartha Rajmarg extends south to the Indian border at Sunauli and north through Butwal then into the hills through Tansen
to Pokhara
. In Butwal this highway connects with the east-west Mahendra Rajmarg across the full expanse of the Nepalese Terai. There is regular long-distance bus and truck service to Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Birganj
, Nepalganj, Pokhara and other cities in Nepal; also to Dehli, India via Gorakhpur and Sunauli taking 24–30 hours.
Transit options around the city and into surrounding areas include bus, minibus
, unmetered taxicab
and cycle rickshaw
.
Siddharthanagar (formerly called Bhairahawa)is a municipality near the India
India
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...
n border on the Outer Terai
Terai
The Terai is a belt of marshy grasslands, savannas, and forests located south of the outer foothills of the Himalaya, the Siwalik Hills, and north of the Indo-Gangetic Plain of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and their tributaries. The Terai belongs to the Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands ecoregion...
plains of 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...
, 265 km (164.7 mi) west of Kathmandu Nepal's capital. Siddharthanagar is the administrative seat of Rupandehi District
Rupandehi District
-Village Development Committees :*Aama*Aanandaban*Amari*Amawa Marchawar*Amuwa Paschim*Asurena*Babhani*Bagaha*Bagauli*Bairghat*Balarampur*Bangai*Bangai Marchwar*Baragadewa*Barsauli*Basantapur*Betakuiya*Bhagawanpur*Bisunpura*Bodabar*Bogadi...
although Butwal
Butwal
Butwal is a large town in southern Nepal in Rupandehi District, in Lumbini Zone -- of which Butwal is the administrative center. It is located 240 kilometres west of Kathmandu and 22 kilometers north of Bhairahawa, at the northern edge of the Terai plain below the Siwalik Hills...
to the north is the district's largest city.
Etymology
Bhairahawa was derived from the deity BhairavaBhairava
Bhairava , sometimes known as Bhairo or Bhairon or Bhairadya or Bheruji , Kaala Bhairavar or Vairavar , is the fierce manifestation of Lord Shiva associated with annihilation...
a manifestation of Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
. Siddharthanagar is from The Buddha's
Gautama Buddha
Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...
given name Siddhartha. The name Siddhartanagar was given by Komal Dutta Tiwari.
Population
The population of Siddarthanagar in 2001 was 52,569. There is a large population speaking Awadhi and Bhojpuri variants. NepaliNepali language
Nepali or Nepalese is a language in the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family.It is the official language and de facto lingua franca of Nepal and is also spoken in Bhutan, parts of India and parts of Myanmar...
is the national language, natively spoken by substantial numbers of who have moved down from the hill districts.The population of Siddharthanagar in 2009 was 95,000.
Culture and religion
HinduHindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
s are in the majority, with a significant minority of Muslims
Islam in Nepal
Islam is a minority religion in Nepal. According to the 2001 Nepal census, 4.27% of the population are Muslim.Islam is thought to have been introduced by Indian Muslims settling in Nepal....
and Buddhists associated with sites commemorating Gautama Buddha
Gautama Buddha
Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...
's life and relics.
Economy
Siddharthnagar has stores stocked with consumer goods that may be unavailable or more expensive in India, such as goods made in China.Hospitals
- Bhim hospital (District Government Hospital) -Bank Road
- UCMS Hospital(Universal College of Medical Science Hospital)
- Bhairahawa hospital - naya sadak
- Lumbini Eye Institute
Transport
Gautam Buddha AirportGautam Buddha Airport
Gautam Buddha Airport , also known as Bhairahawa Airport, is an airport serving Bhairahawa , a municipality of the Rupandehi district in the Lumbini zone in Nepal. Rabin Sharma served as the chief of the airport until 2008.-Facilities:...
-- 3 kilometers from the center—has daily flights to Kathmandu
Tribhuvan International Airport
Tribhuvan International Airport is an international airport situated in Kathmandu, Nepal.Tribhuvan is the sole international airport in Nepal. There are two terminals, one domestic and one international...
.
A narrow gauge branch of Indian Railways
Indian Railways
Indian Railways , abbreviated as IR , is a departmental undertaking of Government of India, which owns and operates most of India's rail transport. It is overseen by the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India....
from Gorakhpur
Gorakhpur
Gorakhpur is a city in the eastern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh in India, near the border with Nepal. It is the administrative headquarters of Gorakhpur District and Gorakhpur Division. Gorakhpur is one of the proposed capitals of the Purvanchal state which is yet to be formed...
approaches the international border at Nautanwa
Nautanwa
Nautanwa is a city and a municipal board in Maharajganj district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.-Geography:Nautanwa is located at . It has an average elevation of 89 metres ....
, but passenger trains are infrequent on this line. The alternative of taxi travel from the border crossing at Sunauli to Gorakhpur takes about two hours. From Sunauli, Siddharthanagar is only 3.5 kilometers. Total travel time is 12 – 18 hours from Dehli and 10 – 12 hours from 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...
(Calcutta).
Siddhartha Rajmarg extends south to the Indian border at Sunauli and north through Butwal then into the hills through Tansen
Tansen, Nepal
Tansen is a Municipality and the administrative center of Palpa District in the "hllls" of western Nepal. It is located on the highway between Butwal and Pokhara, on the crest of the Mahabharat Range or Lesser Himalaya overlooking the valley of the Kaligandaki River to the north...
to Pokhara
Pokhara
Pokhara Sub-Metropolitan City is the second largest city of Nepal. Pokhara is city of close to 350,000 inhabitants in central Nepal located at 28.25°N, 83.99°E, which is the centre of the country from east to west or from north to south, 198 km west of Kathmandu or 90 km west of Mugling, and...
. In Butwal this highway connects with the east-west Mahendra Rajmarg across the full expanse of the Nepalese Terai. There is regular long-distance bus and truck service to Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Birganj
Birganj
Birganj is a sub-metropolitan municipality and border town in Parsa District in the Narayani Zone of southern Nepal. It lies 283 km south of the capital Kathmandu, 3 km north of the border of the Indian state of Bihar. As an entry point to Nepal from Patna and Calcutta it is also known...
, Nepalganj, Pokhara and other cities in Nepal; also to Dehli, India via Gorakhpur and Sunauli taking 24–30 hours.
Transit options around the city and into surrounding areas include bus, minibus
Minibus
A minibus or minicoach is a passenger carrying motor vehicle that is designed to carry more people than a multi-purpose vehicle or minivan, but fewer people than a full-size bus. In the United Kingdom, the word "minibus" is used to describe any full-sized passenger carrying van. Minibuses have a...
, unmetered taxicab
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
and cycle rickshaw
Cycle rickshaw
The cycle rickshaw is a small-scale local means of transport; it is also known by a variety of other names such as velotaxi, pedicab, bikecab, cyclo, becak, trisikad, or trishaw or, simply, rickshaw which also refers to auto rickshaws, and the, now uncommon, rickshaws pulled by a person on foot...
.
Climate
Winter temperatures in range 9-23 celsius (48-73 fahrenheit). Up to 40 celsius (104 fahrenheit) in summer. Monsoon rains usually begin in June and end in September.Places of interest
- Lumbini GardenLumbiniLumbinī is a Buddhist pilgrimage site in the Rupandehi district of Nepal. It is the place where Queen Mayadevi gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama, who as the Buddha Gautama founded the Buddhist tradition. The Buddha lived between roughly 563 and 483 BCE...
around Lord Buddha'sGautama BuddhaSiddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...
birthplace with numerous monasteries representing different nations. Approximately 22 klometers from Siddharthanagar. - Devedaha, an archeological site 15 km. northeast near KhairhaniKhairhaniKhairhani is a village development committee in Chitwan District in the Narayani Zone of southern Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 13,629 people living in 2262 individual households....
village. The site is associated with the Koliyas, tribe of Lord Buddha's mother and one of eight tribes receiving corporeal relics after his death at KushinagarKushinagarKushinagar , Kusinagar or Kusinara is a town and a nagar panchayat in Kushinagar district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is an important Buddhist pilgrimage site, where Gautama Buddha is believed to have attained Parinirvana after his death.-Demographics: India census, Kushinagar had a...
. - RamagramaRamagramaThe stupa of Ramagrama is located roughly 25 km east of Bhairahawa, in the Nawalparasi District of Nepal.- Site Description :The only undisturbed original stupa containing relics of Lord Buddha. Built in 6th century B.C. and enlarged by being enveloped with bricks subsequently...
20 kilometers east of Siddharthanagar and 4 km south of Parasi in Nawalparasi DistrictNawalparasi DistrictNawalparasi District of 562,870. This district has given birth to many Nepal's top level people including late Prime Minister Tanka Prasad Acharya...
. Remains of stupa and monastery on banks of Jahari River near Kerwani village. The stupa mound is approximately 10 meters (30 ft) high and 20 metere (70 ft) diameter. Some suggest this was the center of the Koliya Kingdom. - Kapilvastu was the kingdom of the ShakyaShakyaShakya was an ancient janapada of India in the 1st millennium BCE. In Buddhist texts the Shakyas, the inhabitants of Shakya janapada, are mentioned as a clan of Gotama gotra....
s, Lord Buddha's (paternal) royal family. The administrative center of modern Kapilvastu DistrictKapilvastu DistrictKapilvastu district of 481,976.-Geography:The district situated at the height of 93 to 1491 meters from sea level. Geographically, the district can be divided into plain low lands of terai and low Chure hills.Kapilvastu is bounded by-...
at TaulihawaTaulihawaKapilvastu , formerly Taulihawa, is a municipality and seat of Kapilvastu District in the Lumbini Zone of southern Nepal. The city is located within the historical Kapilvastu area. At the time of the 2001 Nepal census it had a population of 27,170 people...
is 40 kilometers west of Siddharthanagar or 18 kilometers beyond Lumbini. Many archaeological sites are within 10 km. of Taulihawa. Local roads are in good condition. - Tribeni Ghat on the Narayani River (known as Gandak in India) is an auspicious site for bathing. It attracts hundred thousands of pilgrims on Maghe SankrantiMaghe sankrantiMaghe sankranti is a Nepalese festival observed on the first of Magh in the Bikram Samwat Nepali calendar bringing an end to the ill-omened month of Poush when all religious ceremonies are forbidden. Maghe Sakranti is the Nepalese version of the Indian Makar Sankranti. On this day, the sun is...
(Hindi: Makar Sankranti, approximately 15 January). - Valmiki Ashram near Tribeni Ghat, believed to be the place where Prince SiddharthaGautama BuddhaSiddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...
got down from his horse Kantaka and strode off on foot and into the jungles in his search for answers. - Chitwan National Park east of the Narayani River, a preserve larger than 900 km2 protecting some 700 native animal species—including gaurGaurThe gaur , also called Indian bison, is a large bovine native to South Asia and Southeast Asia. The species is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1986 as the population decline in parts of the species' range is likely to be well over 70% over the last three generations...
, tigerBengal TigerThe Bengal tiger is a tiger subspecies native to the Indian subcontinent that in 2010 has been classified as endangered by IUCN...
, rhiocerosIndian RhinocerosThe Indian Rhinoceros is also called Greater One-horned Rhinoceros and Asian One-horned Rhinoceros and belongs to the Rhinocerotidae family...
, gharialGharialThe gharial , , also called Indian gavial or gavial, is the only surviving member of the once well-represented family Gavialidae, a long-established group of crocodilians with long, slender snouts...
and crocodileMugger CrocodileThe mugger crocodile , also called the Indian, Indus, Persian, or marsh crocodile, is found throughout the Indian subcontinent and the surrounding countries...
-- and flora native to the Terai-Duar savanna and grasslandsTerai-Duar savanna and grasslandsThe Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands is a narrow lowland ecoregion at the base of the Himalayas, about wide and a continuation of the Gangetic Plain colloquially called Terai in the Ganges Basin east to Nepal, then Dooars in West Bengal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Assam east to the Brahmaputra River...
.