Butwal is a sub-metropolitan city in Nepal’s Rupandehi district of Province No. 5. This place is about 260 kilometres east of Nepalgunj and 240 kilometres west of Kathmandu and also 22 kilometres north of Bhairahawa. The town’s oldest residential neighbourhood, Batauli Bazaar, which is situated on the western bank of the Tinau River, is from where Butwal gets its name. Butwal is a bustling city with sublime views of plains and hills.
Through various routes, Butwal connects Narayanghat city, Tansen town, and Bhairahawa city. Only 26 km separate Butwal from the Indian border, 22 km separate it from Bhairahawa and 36 km separate it from Tansen. This place is quite popular among the national tourists. Here are many interesting facts about it:
1. Butwal is known for being the most literate city in Nepal after Kathmandu, which holds the record for board top students in SLC as well as HSEB examination many times.
2. Butwal is at the intersection of Nepal’s two different National Highways, Mahendra Highway and Siddhartha Highway.
3. Near Tinau (Tilottama) River, which is also known as Paari Butwal, the fossils of ancient humanoids Ramapithecus were found in early 1932, including a 10.1 million year old tooth.
4. Butwal was known as Khasauli in mediaeval times as it is believed to be established by the Khas Kings.
5. Butwal was a place where a major battle of Anglo-Nepalese was fought, Battle of Jitgadi Fort, where the Gorkha army led by Ujir Singh Thapa beat the British forces.
6. Butwal became a point of contention, sparking the Gurkha War (1814-16), as the British East India Company conquered it while the Shah Dynasty attempted to annex the Terai.
7. Audhyogig Byapar Mela-Butwal is an industrial exhibition held in Butwal, which is organised annually in the month of Poush (December-January) and is one of the largest of its kind in Nepal.
8. Historically, Butwal connected Nepali people with their Indian neighbours.
Devdaha, Butwal Hills Park, Manimukunda Sen Park, Sanimaina, The Statue Of Buddha, Global Peace Park, and numerous other locations are just a few Butwal’s well-known attractions.
Compiled By: Nikita Gautam
photo credit: Oren Yomtov
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