Parsa District was established during the Rana regime, and its name is said by locals to derive either from the Parsagadhi fort, where Nepali Gorkhali soldiers defeated British soldiers, or from the Parashnath temple at Mahuwan. Before the founding of Birgunj, the main centre of the district was Alau, near the present Dryport. Birgunj itself was established in 1897 by Rana Prime Minister Bir Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana, who renamed the old settlement of Gahawa after himself and had the new bazaar laid out in forest land by Siddhvir Mathema. The 47 km Nepal Government Railway linked Birgunj with Raxaul across the Indian border and Amlekhganj from 1927 until it was discontinued in December 1965. The earliest human activity in the area is thought to be a settlement around the Bhiswa stupa, a Buddhist shrine preliminarily estimated at around 1500 years old. In modern times Birgunj was the main centre from which the Madhes movement started, twice, in 2007 and 2013.
Researched by the ChillNepal team from published sources. Spot something out of date? Tell us from the place's page.
