Birgunj

Birgunj is situated in the southeastern part of Nepal near the Indian border town of Raxaul. Situated just 3 kilometers from the Raxaul, Birgunj is the major entry point to Nepal from India for routes such as Calcutta and Patna. It is undoubtly the biggest transit point in Nepal in terms of volume. Almost 60% of the total imports in Nepal comes from Haldia port at Calcutta and shipped through Raxaul in Birgunj. After that, the shipments are moved to other cities such as Kathmandu, Biratnagar and Bhaktapur. Birgunj has come as a respite to the landlocked Nepal. Birgunj is an important land entry point for goods to Nepal. Apart from being a transit point, Birgunj is known for its dynamism and multi-cultural outlook. The city is becoming a hub for the multi lingual and multi ethnic groups. The most commonly spoken languages in this city are Nepali, Maithali, Newari, Bhojpuri, Awadhi, Urdu and Hindi.

The city itself has nothing much to offer to tourists apart from the intimidating Shanker Acharya Gate and a Buddhist Stupa called Buddha Chaitya. The later has a unique architecture that is a subtle amalgamation of Nepali, Newari, Tibetan and Bihari architectural styles. Apart from the sporadic tourists, the city is simply taken as a stop over place for travelers, businessmen and pilgrims going to other destinations in Nepal.