Current Time in Birgañj, Nepal

Birganj stands on the flat southern plains of Nepal, in the Terai belt of Parsa district, only a few kilometres from the border with the Indian state of Bihar. The land here is low, fertile and intensely farmed, a world away from the Himalayan peaks that most visitors associate with the country. Summers are extremely hot, the monsoon brings heavy rain and flooding, and winter mornings are often shrouded in thick fog that settles over the plain.

With a population approaching three hundred thousand, Birganj is one of the largest cities in Nepal and by far its most important trading point. It is often called the gateway to Nepal, because the majority of the country's overland imports pass through its customs posts and dry port. Sugar, cement, textiles, food processing and vehicle assembly all have a presence here, and the city's markets, warehouses and transport companies handle goods bound for Kathmandu and the hill districts.

The town was founded in the nineteenth century by a prime minister of the Rana dynasty, whose name it carries, as a customs station and market on the route between India and the Nepalese capital. Its growth accelerated when a narrow-gauge railway was built to the border and later when the highway through the Churia hills opened a reliable road to Kathmandu. In the twentieth century it became the centre of Nepal's first industrial district at nearby Hetauda and Simara, and it has often been a focal point of the political movements of the Madhesi communities of the plains.

The best-known landmark is the Ghantaghar, a tall clock tower in the centre that has become the symbol of the city, standing above a constant flow of rickshaws, motorcycles and traders. The Shankaracharya Gate marks the crossing into India, while the Gahwa Mai temple draws crowds during festivals. Just outside the city lie sites of far greater antiquity, including the ruins of Simraungadh, the capital of a medieval kingdom whose brick walls, ponds and carved stones remain in the fields, and the birthplace of the Buddha at Lumbini within a few hours' drive.

Life in Birganj reflects the Bhojpuri and Maithili culture of the plains, with its own language, music and cuisine of lentils, rice, sweets and street snacks. Festivals such as Chhath, when families gather at ponds and riverbanks to greet the rising and setting sun, and Holi in spring fill the streets with colour and crowds.

Roads run north to Kathmandu and Pokhara and south into India, and a modern integrated check post handles freight traffic, while Simara airport lies a short distance away. The city hosts a number of colleges affiliated with Tribhuvan University, including institutions teaching medicine, management and engineering.

Birganj is essential to Nepal as its commercial doorway, a hot, busy and cosmopolitan border city where the economies and cultures of Nepal and northern India meet every day.