Birganj

Birgunj is a metropolitan city and border town in Parsa District in the Narayani Zone of southern Nepal. It lies 135km south of the capital Kathmandu, attached in the north to Raxaul in the border of the Indian state of Bihar. As an entry point to Nepal from Patna and Kolkata, it is known as the "Gateway to Nepal". The town has significant economic importance for Nepal as most of its trade with India is via Birgunj and the Indian town of Raxaul. Tribhuvan Highway links Birgunj to Nepal's capital, Kathmandu. It was declared as a Metropolitan City on 22 May 2017 along with Biratnagar.EtymologyBirgunj was established as a conglomerate of several villages in and around Gahawa Mai Temple. Gahawai Mai Temple remains the epicenter of the town. The settlement was named after the Rana Prime Minister Bir Shamsher, thus acquiring the name Birgunj.DemographicsAccording to the 2011 Census, Birgunj had a population of 207980. It is the biggest city in Narayani Zone and Terai and the fourth biggest in Nepal after Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Patan. It serves as the headquarters of the Parsa District. Although Nepali is the official language, the native Bhojpuri language is the main language spoken. In addition to Bhojpuri, several other languages are spoken, including Maithili, Hindi and English.