Rajbiraj

Rajbiraj
राजविराज
City
Rajbiraj Nagarpalika
Gajendra (Tribhuwan) chowk situated in the center of the city
Motto(s): "Green Rajbiraj, Clean Rajbiraj"
Rajbiraj
Location of Rajbiraj
Rajbiraj
Rajbiraj (Nepal)
Coordinates: 26°32′26″N 86°44′55″E / 26.54056°N 86.74861°E / 26.54056; 86.74861Coordinates: 26°32′26″N 86°44′55″E / 26.54056°N 86.74861°E / 26.54056; 86.74861
Country Nepal
Province Province No. 2
Development Region Eastern
District Saptari District
No. of Wards 16
Government
 • Mayor Shambhu Prasad Yadav (RJPN)
 • Deputy Mayor Sadhana Jha (RJPN)
Area
 • City 55.64 km2 (21.48 sq mi)
Elevation 76 m (249 ft)
Population (2011 est.)
 • City 69,803[1]
 • Metro 70,000 (approx.)
Time zone UTC+5:45 (NST)
Postal code 56400
Area code(s) 031
Website www.rajbirajmun.gov.np

Rajbiraj (Nepali: राजविराज) is a mid-sized municipality located in the south-eastern region of the Province No. 2 of Nepal. Rajbiraj is the district headquarters of Saptari as well as the eighth largest city of the Province No. 2. The city is systematically designed according to the Indian city of Jaipur in 1938 and has been the first township in Nepal to receive urban planning.[2] It was later declared a municipality in 1959.[3] According to 2011 census, the city had a population of 69,803,[4][5] making it the 33rd largest municipality in Nepal. The city area is spread over 55.64 km2 (21.48 sq mi) and comprises 16 wards.

The city is named after the ancient temple of Rajdevi, built by the Sens of Makawanpur in the 14th century.[6][7] Rajbiraj has prominently served as a politically active town in the modern history of Nepal and has been the hometown to some of the well-known icons of the nation. The major trade routes to the town are offered by the Nepalese metropolis of Biratnagar 78 km (48 mi) east to the city as well as the Indo-Nepal borders of Kunauli 17 km (11 mi) and Bhimnagar 28 km (17 mi) respectively south and east to the city.

Rastriya Janata Party Nepal's Shambu Prasad Yadav and Sadhana Jha hold the current mayoral and deputy mayoral chairs of the town, as per the results of the local elections held on September 27, 2018.[8]

History

Chief Engineer and Architect Dilli Jang Thapa designed Rajbiraj based on Rajasthani city Jaipur

Rajbiraj is one of the few cities given the status of municipality when Nepal's monarchy was restored in the 1950s. Rajbiraj is the first city of Nepal to be urban planned.[2] The Nepal government plans to develop it as a model city.[9] Chief Engineer and Architect Dilli Jang Thapa designed Rajbiraj based on Indian city Jaipur.[10][11]The city is now recognized as an educational capital of Eastern Nepal with various schools and colleges opening.

The city also has an old history with the ruins and stone samples from local Rajdevi Temple dating back to 18th century AD.[12][6]

Toponymy

The city of Rajbiraj is named after Rajdevi Temple. The Meaning of Raj comes from the name of the Rajdevi temple which means "state" and biraj means "to reside".[13]

Demography

According to the National Population Census of 2011, Rajbiraj's population was 69,803, of which male and female are 35,092 and 33,304 respectively.[5] The effective literacy rate was 79.71%, with male literacy at 88.40% and female literacy at 70.24%.[14] The data on religion in 2011 showed Hinduism as the majority religion. Most people follow Hinduism as a religion. The Hindu population accounts for 87%, Muslim 10.89%, Jains 1.26% and Sikhs 0.64%.[14] The city has also community of Muslims along with Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists. Rajbiraj is situated within one of the most ethnically diverse regions of Nepal, and the rural hinterland is home to a diverse cross section of Terai communities consisting of Kayastha Das, Deo, Jha, Yadav, Mishra, Mandal, Muslim, Brahmin, Rajput, Marwari, Tharu, Badhai, Lohar, Sonar Dhanuk, Joshi, Poudel, Shrestha, Koirala, Thapa, Thapaliya, Rajdhoves,[15] Gautam.

Others include Christians, Buddhists & Other religions (0.19%)
Religion in Rajbiraj[14]
Religion Percent
Hinduism
 
 87.01%
Islam
 
 10.89%
Jain
 
 1.26%
Sikh
 
 0.64%
Others
 
 0.20%

The native dialect is Maithili which is mostly spoken in the city. After Maithili Nepali is widely spoken by Rajbirajians, and other rarely spoken language.[14]

Transport

Road

Rajbiraj is one of the cities in Nepal that is connected by the East West Highway about 10 kilometres (6 mi) to the north and 17 kilometres (11 mi) to the east also known as Hulaki Rajmarg. It is well connected to other Nepalese cities by National Highway and Sub Highway. Buses are an important mode of intercity passenger travel.Besides that City Rickshaws and Magic (small vehicle) are another important means of travelling in local areas.

Air

Rajbiraj has one of the oldest airfields of Nepal, named as the Rajbiraj Airport (IATA: RJB, ICAO: VNRB) which was inaugurated by the then transportation minister Ganesh Man Singh in 1959. After witnessing almost three decades of halt, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal has recently carried out a series of vigorous renovation (worth Rs. 303 million) of the airport. Shree Airlines 50-seater CRJ-200 has been tested on May 23 with Captain DR Niroula of Shree’s safety department along with other instructor pilots — Captain Prajwol Adhikari, Rajesh Shrestha.[16] The airport has halted all the flights from 2007 and the commercial flights was started from first June 24, 2018.[17][18]

Intracity

The best way of getting around the city is by using cycle rickshaws and electric rickshaws. There are also auto rickshaw running short distances but they don't operate in the main market area.

Climate

Rajbiraj Municipal has particularly a tropical climate. The three main seasons, summer, monsoon and winter respectively. Being located in the Plain (Terai) lands of Nepal, the climate and weather of Rajbiraj is usually hot.[19] The summer season runs from Early April to August and touches temperature ranging from 23 °C (73 °F) to 44 °C (111 °F). Monsoons arrive in the month of July heralded by dust and thunderstorms. The winter season prevails from the month of October till the month of March. Humidity, which prevails during monsoons, diminishes at the arrival of winters. The city observes pleasant sunny days and enjoyable cool nights with the temperature ranging from 6 °C (41 °F) to 30 °C (86 °F).

Rajbiraj winter season is the most appealing time to pay here a visit. Tourists arrive in large numbers, anytime between mid-September to late March or early April. Overall the January is the coldest month and June is the most hottest month in the year.

Climate data for Rajbiraj Raaj Rangashaalaa (1981-2012)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 21.5
(70.7)		 25.4
(77.7)		 29.9
(85.8)		 33.1
(91.6)		 33.7
(92.7)		 31.8
(89.2)		 31.7
(89.1)		 31.4
(88.5)		 31.0
(87.8)		 30.2
(86.4)		 26.2
(79.2)		 24.1
(75.4)		 29.2
(84.5)
Average low °C (°F) 8.0
(46.4)		 10.1
(50.2)		 12.6
(54.7)		 18.4
(65.1)		 22.3
(72.1)		 24.2
(75.6)		 24.6
(76.3)		 24.4
(75.9)		 23.6
(74.5)		 20.8
(69.4)		 12.4
(54.3)		 9.2
(48.6)		 17.6
(63.6)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 12.7
(0.5)		 14.2
(0.559)		 17.2
(0.677)		 56.1
(2.209)		 189.0
(7.441)		 320.4
(12.614)		 545.8
(21.488)		 384.3
(15.13)		 299.8
(11.803)		 92.8
(3.654)		 6.8
(0.268)		 5.4
(0.213)		 1,944.5
(76.556)
Source: Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (Nepal)[20]

Tourism

Rajbiraj is a typical tourist city and a place to explore the interesting places in eastern Nepal. However, there are many things to do in the city. A number of colorful Hatiyaa Bazaars are held each week in different parts of the town, where farmers from the rural hinterland set up stalls to trade agricultural produce, spices and handicrafts. Rajbiraj is a hub for travel plans in Eastern Nepal. In the Rajbiraj city there are many religious Hindu temple to visit. Most of the temples are more than 200 years old. The Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve famous for its wildlife, especially for bird-watching enthusiasts, is a mere 40-minute drive from the city. It is also home to the endangered wild buffaloes called "Arna" in Nepali. The Saptakoshi Bridge is also the attraction to visit it is only 25 km far from the city. Another location near Rajbiraj is Dharan (75 km), which is 2 hours journey by bus.

Religious sites

Rajdevi Temple is a historic Hindu temple located on the east of the city and is one of the most prominent landmarks of the city. It is dedicated to the deity Rajdevi. The temple is a significant symbol for Hindus and the present structure was built between 1990. The temple attracts on average thousands of visitors annually.[21] Some thousands of goats are sacrificed here during Dashain.[22]

Festivals

Major religious celebrations include the major Hindu festivals Vijaya Dashami, Dipawali, Chhath , Holi and Vishwakarma Puja. The Chhath and Holi is heavily celebrated with a carnival-like atmosphere. The locals people take pride in the way these festivals are celebrated.[23]

Media

Print media include the National daily Annapurna Post, Gorkhapatra, Kantipur Patrika and Nepal Samacharpatra. There are numerous local newspaper which covers the news of the city like Nai Ummid, Rajbiraj Dainik, Krishna Dainik, News Today Patrika and Green Madhesh Patrika. while English news daily like The Himalayan Times and The Kathmandu Post are also available.

Telecommunications services include Nepal Telecom, Ncell and UTL. WorldLink, Broadlink and Subisu are providing broadband services in this region. To promote local culture, Rajbiraj has number of FM radio stations[24] which are:

  • Bhorukuwa FM
  • Chhinnamasta FM
  • Apan FM
  • C FM
  • Radio Chandrama FM
  • Jai Madhesh FM

Educational institutions

Rajbiraj has a well-established education infrastructure. There are a number of colleges and schools meeting the requirements of not only the city but the region and country as well. It is home to several Educational institutions for pre-primary, Primary, Secondary, High-Secondary, senior-secondary, graduate and post-graduate studies. Rajbiraj is an educational hub of Eastern Region of Nepal. Sai Krishna Medical College & Hospital (SKMCH), nursing colleges & +2 colleges in the city are attracting the student from neighbor district & Eastern Region of Nepal.

University & TU Colleges

  • Mahendra Bindeshwari Multiple Campus
  • Rajbiraj Model Higher Secondary School
  • Paradise Campus
  • World Vision Modern Campus
  • Mission College
  • Caliber International College

Technical Institution & CTEVT Affiliated colleges

  • Nepal Softech College Of Computer Engineering
  • College of Software and Engineering College
  • Chinnamasta institute of technology
  • Jagadamba Technical Institute
  • Udayapur Technical Training School
  • Unique College Of Medical Science & Hospital Pvt. Ltd.
  • Rajdevi Technical Institute

Medical Colleges

  • Sai Krishna Medical College & Hospital (SKMCH)

Nursing Colleges

  • Unique College Of Medical Science & Hospital Pvt. Ltd.
  • Jagadamba Medical institute
  • Chinnamasta Nursing College
  • Sai Krishna Nursing College

+2 Colleges with Graduation

  • Happyland Higher Secondary School
  • Chinnamasta Higher Secondary School [6]
  • Mission Higher Secondary School
  • Caliber International College
  • Oxford International College
  • Kshitiz College
  • Universal Academy

Secondary School Of Rajbiraj

  • Premier Secondary Boarding School
  • Durga Secondary School
  • Happyland Higher Secondary School
  • Shiva International Boarding Secondary School
  • Little Flower Secondary School
  • kesho anirodha Ma.Bi.
  • Global English Boarding School
  • Rajdevi Secondary School
  • Laliguraans Higher Secondary Schoolu
  • Peace Zone Model School
  • Saptarsihi Educational Academy
  • World Vision S.School
  • Manokamna Higher S. School
  • P.B. School
  • Model Higher secondary School
  • Janaki Higher Secondary School
  • Green boarding secondary school
  • kankalini Academy Rupani Road Rajbiraj
  • Shanti Niketan Educational Academy
  • New Rose Public English School
  • Maa Sarawati English School
  • Green secondary school
  • Laxmi English Boarding School Rajbiraj-5. Saptari

Hospitals

Following health services are available at Rajbiraj.

Banking

Following banking and financial institutions provides services in the city.

Money Tansfer

  • IME
  • Western Union Money Transfer
  • City Express Money Transfer
  • Prabhu Money Transfer
  • Himal Remit Money Transfer

Sports

Kabaadi and Cricket are the most popular sports among the younger generation in the city. The city has 3 local stadiums. The sporting activities are mainly centered in the multipurpose stadium Rajbiraj Rangasala in the main city. The popular sports are cricket, football, volleyball, basketball, kabaddi, badminton etc. Freedom cricket club and Rajdevi cricket academy are the most active cricket club in the city with time stadium Rajbiraj Stadium[25] The Mahendra Club is one of the most active organizations promoting football in the city and organizes a regional club-level annual tournament: the Saptari Gold Cup.[26][27] In July 2018, Wicket Nepal organized Saptari Premier League (SPL)- Mayor Cup. The final match held on 18th Jul between Bajaj Khadak Warriors and Bodebarsain. The Bajaj Khadak Warriors won the match with net cash prize NPR. 1,51,000 and a cup.[28]

Cuisine

The staple diet of the region is rice, dal and curry. On the festive occasions, people prepare a number of fried items of vegetables as well as other special items. Fish is one of the most popular source of protein in Rajbiraj.

Notable persons

See also

References

  1. ↑ "National Population and Housing Census 2011" (PDF). National Planning Commission Secretariat, Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Government of Nepal. November 2012.
  2. 1 2 "Rajbiraj revisited". Nepal Times. Retrieved 19 July 2002.
  3. ↑ "Rapid urbanization in Nepal". www.housingnepal.com. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
  4. ↑ "स्थानिय तह". 103.69.124.141. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
  5. 1 2 Population Ward Level 753 Local Unit (PDF).
  6. 1 2 Dāsa, Harikāntalāla (2003). Saptarī Jillākā pramukha sāṃskr̥tika sthalaharu : eka adhyayana : laghuanusandhānakārya (1. saṃskaraṇa. ed.). Kāṭhamāḍauṃ: Nepāla Rājakīya Prajñā-Pratishṭhāna. p. 120. ISBN 9789993350569.
  7. ↑ "Sanjib Chaudhary: The ruins of Sen palace and temple in Saptari district of Nepal". www.asianart.com. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
  8. ↑ "RJP-N candidate elected mayor of Rajbiraj Municipality". The Himalayan Times. 2017-09-28. Retrieved 2018-04-26.
  9. ↑ "Nepal's first planned town on revival road". My Republica. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
  10. ↑ Magazine, New Spolight. "DILLI JUNG THAPA Forgotten Hero". SpotlightNepal. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
  11. ↑ Magazine, New Spolight. ""What Went Wrong In My Madhesh?"". SpotlightNepal. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
  12. ↑ खबर, मलाया. "राजदेवी". www.malayakhabar.com (in Nepali). Retrieved 2018-05-08.
  13. ↑ "Rajdevi Temple". Boss Nepal. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
  14. 1 2 3 4 "National Population and Housing Census 2011" (PDF). Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  15. ↑ http://rajbirajjobs.blogspot.com/?m=1
  16. ↑ "Rajbiraj airport gets rolling after successful test flight". The Himalayan Times. 2018-05-23. Retrieved 2018-06-26.
  17. ↑ "Rajbiraj Airport begins commercial operations". Retrieved 2018-06-26.
  18. ↑ "Rajbiraj Airport resumes operations after a decade". Retrieved 2018-06-26.
  19. ↑ "Rising Temperature". The Himalayan Times. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  20. ↑ "NORMALS FROM 1981-2012". Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (Nepal). Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  21. ↑ "Maha Asthami observed today". ekantipur.com.
  22. ↑ "The Goddess with Severed Head". Boss Nepal.
  23. ↑ "Govt announces public holiday on Chhath". My Republica. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  24. ↑ "FM details list" (PDF). MOIC, Government of Nepal. November 2014.
  25. ↑ "Alam stars in Rajdevi triumph". Cricketing Nepal. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  26. ↑ "Machhindra lift Saptari Gold Cup". The Rising Nepal. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
  27. ↑ "Saptari Gold Cup". Goal Nepal. Retrieved 19 February 2013.
  28. ↑ "Saptari Premier League".
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