Butwal Nepal: Major Attractions Explained

An Overview of Butwal City

Butwal is one of the twin urban agglomerations in Nepal of the fast-growing Butwal-Bhairahawa. The city is located in the District of Rupandehi in Lumbini and was the provincial provisional capital for almost 3 years until 2020 when the capital was officially voted Deukhuri. The title “Green City of Nepal 2019” has been conferred. The office of the Lumbini Zone was also located in this building. This town is located on the bank of the river Tinau and under the Siwalik mountains on the northern edge of the Terai plain. Butwal’s name comes from Batauli Bazar, the most ancient residential village on the west bank of the River Tinau.

Geography of Butwal City

Butwal is a vibrant city with a vista over the hills and the plains. Butwal lies at the crossroads of the Mahendra Highway and the Siddhartha Highways, the two distinct national highways in Nepal. The main road and aviation links connect western Nepal with the capital city of Kathmandu (via the airport at Siddharthanagar). It is one for education, infrastructure, road, marketing, healthcare and safety, communication, trading, and banking industries, and is one of the fastest-growing cities in Nepal. It has road links to the Indian border at Sunauli and highland settlements in Tansen and Pokhara Valley, and boasts five consecutive titles of “Best City in Nepal.”

History of Butwal City

Fossils of ancient Ramapithecus hominoids, including 10.1 million-year-old teeth, were unearthed in the neighboring Tinau (Tilottama) river in early 1932. The location was a loose settlement between the steep Lumbini regions and the Indian plains. The location was a trading station. Butwal thereby linked Nepalese people historically with their neighbors. Butwal became one of the pillars of dispute that led to the Gurkha War in 1814–2016, as the British East India Company subjugated Awadh to its inherited rulers while the Shah Dynasty tried to seize the Terai.
During a 1950 rebellion against the Rana Dynasty, King Tribhuvan escaped to India and traveled through Butwal. And then, it was just a settlement on the west side of the river Tilottama (also known as Tinau). Butwal has been a comparatively freshly developed area that has only rapidly emerged and grown since 1960. With the finish of the Siddhartha road (NPL H10.svgH10) in 1968, from the Sunauli border through to Butwal to Pokhara and in the 1990s, on the entire eastern-western area of Terai in Nepal, the Mahendra highway (NPL H01.svgH01) produced considerable strands.

People in Butwal City

Butwal’s population is currently 91,733 (Census 2015), with approximately 150,000 of them increasing rapidly, and includes immigrants from the neighboring mountains, in particular Palpa, Arghakhanchi, Parbat, Gulmi, Syangja, and also locals originally from the region. The population of Butwal is 91,733. The populace is predominantly Hindu. Holi, Teej, MahaShivratri, Dashain, Tihar, and BhaiTika were celebrated. Buddhists and Muslims are also present. The common languages spoken in Butwal are Nepali, Bhojpuri, and Maithili.

Tourist attraction in Butwal City

1) Manimukunda Park: The Manimukunda Park in Butwal, Nepal is one of the great spots to visit. In the previous days, the garden for King ManimukundaSen was known locally as Phool Bari. There’s plenty in the park including a small zoo and a modest children’s playground. Wild creatures such as guinea pigs, deer, and Nilgai are in the zoo. The children’s playground has slides and swings. In the rich vegetation, you feel much closer to nature. The garden is enclosed. Walking around the garden, you will see a range of lovely blooms which will quickly capture your heart. A wonderful area to go for a haven together with family and friends, visit the park for some time on a weekend.

2) Siddhababa Temple: The Temple of Siddhababa in Butwal was devoted to Lord Shiva, an important Hindu god. This is a pilgrimage place for the worshippers of Lord Shiva who gather at the Temple for festivals such as the MahaShivratri. The temple is constructed on a rocky mountain and travels to Palpa from Butwal. The site is situated on a hill and overlooks the spectacular Alps and mountains. You’ll notice a spectacular waterfall falling down the mountain if you visit the site during the wet season.

3) Lumbini: One of the biggest figures in global history came into being in 563 BC centuries ago. This man, known as Siddhartha Gautama, was to be the founder of Buddhism. This is why Lumbini is a component of the World Patrimony List. It is not surprising. The site is extremely important spiritually and culturally and attracts Buddhists and pilgrims from throughout the world.Maya Devi Temple is the spiritual core of Lumbini. It is here that Queen Maya Devi born Gautama Buddha. You will be near the site with stupas and its ancient ruins, the Ashoka pillar, one of Buddhism’s key supporters. Several monks can also be spotted in saffron robed clothes. This temple is situated in the park, known as the development area of Lumbini. In 1978, Japanese architect KenzoTange started planning the project and works are currently underway. Don’t rush and spend a couple of hours looking around when you get here.

The economy of Butwal City

Butwal is mostly a business and business city, a town that connects the local sights. Butwal’s GDP in 2018 amounted to almost 1 billion US$, one of Nepal’s largest cities. Butwal’s economy focuses on business, services, and industry. Traffic chowk, BP chowk, Amarpath, Raj Chaurah, and Nepalgunj Road are ancient trading sites. In addition to current commercial activities, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, a traditional shape called Haat Bazar like green growers takes place twice a week. It is home to ButwalSabjiMandi, the second largest vegetable market in the country.
In a crowded market environment, all types of dealers, farmers, and businesses directly sell goods and products to wholesale and retail clients. Economic service components are generally focused on banking, education, transport, and health. As a result, more and more people are working in these areas. Butwal is also a city that connects Tansen, Kapilvastu, and Lumbini to the adjacent tourist centers. The gate to Sunwal, Pokhara, and Bharatpur lie nearby. It is also a busy land route for tourists and others to access Nepal from India. Butwal is therefore also experiencing massive investments in the hospitality sector.

The government aims to build an international conference center at Ramnagar, Butwal to enhance tourism and MICE prospects. All these achievements indicate a great economic potential for the region’s development. The MahendraRajmarg is a significant road in Butwal, East-West-Highway. The Butwal Chamber of Commerce and Industry is unified between private business and trade (BuCCI). VyaparMela-Butwal is a trade show in Butwal. Audhyogig This exhibition is held every year during the month of Poush and is one of the biggest of its type in Nepal (usually December–January).

Transportation in Butwal City

In terms of the number of bus services in Nepal, this city dominates any other city. Until 2003, the majority of the fleet was outdated huge busses, and since then, new minibusses have been commonly known as microbus. Older jeeps are utilized for transporting people to hilly places nearby. For short-haul urban transportation, Rickshaws are used. Motorcycles are a typical way of transporting people throughout the city. The number of registered individuals climbed to 80,000 in 2008 from 1,200 in 1999. From Butwal Bus Terminal, about 100 buses travel daily for Kathmandu. Other significant cities like Pokhara, Dharan, Kakarbhitta, Janakpur, Birgunj, Hetauda, Bharatpur, Tanšen, Siddharthanagar, Dang, Nepalgunj, Dhangadi, and Mahendranagar also commonly offer bus services in addition to the capital Kathmandu.