Butwal

  Butwal city  

✔ Butwal is an ancient city in the Rupandehi district of Lumbini Province and is a large business hub with a wall of mountains on the North and Tinau river that flows near the city.

✔ The heart of Lumibini Province, Butwal City holds as much mystery as it looks grand the present Butwal is dazzling and modern.

✔ Butwal is situated at the convergence point of the Mahendra Highway and Siddhartha Highway, we can also reach Lumbini the birthplace of lord Buddha from there.

✔ Based on the development the city is divided into two parts Pari Butwal and Wari Butwal, Across Tinau is the old Batauli bazaar, whereas on this side is the modern Butwal.

✔ Butwal city where millions of years ago their ancestors(Ramapithecus) roamed. Mani Mukunda Sen had a winter castle there and he ruled his kingdom from there.

✔ World-winning British empire tasted defeat there, the Gorkhali forces never lost a single battle there, only achieved victory. Butwal has preserved this Jitdagi castle as proof of that legacy.

✔ The actual Batauli bazaar of Butwal leads people below the Mahendra highway underpass, you can find the old Butwal there.

✔ We can see old Dharke Bazaars there, people from the mountains came there to sell their butter and medicinal herbs and there was a custom of taking salt and other commodities back home.

  1. History of Butwal  

✔ Butwal was a Batauli meaning where men gather from various places and the other one is believed to be connected with the Shakya dynasty and Gautam Buddha hence, called “Buddhawali” or Buddha’s village and eventually from “Butwali”, the word “Butwal” was derived.

✔ Nepal was a communal place before the war with the British, Butwal was the center of the former powerhouse city of Palpa.

✔ There was a winter palace in Butwal and the kings relocated to Tansen during the summer months.

✔ There was a huge battle against the British forces for Butwal around 1,814 AD because Butwal was a major trading center.

✔ It was also a part of the Silk Route, Butwal was a center of trade, social, and cultural wealth, and after 1950AD Butwal was officially established as a major trade center.

✔ The Ranas in Nepal brought in a lot of merchants and traders from various parts of India and eventually, Butwal transformed into a major business hub in western Nepal.

✔ It is also a city that defeated the British Empire during a battle, we can still see the Jitgadi fort as proof and the palace of Mani Mukunda Sen.

✔ There are two divisions of the city, the old Butwal across the river is the actual Butwal city whereas the section east of the river is the business center established after the highway came there.

✔ Everyone from west Nepal comes to Butwal for education so just like its name, it has been a place where people gather.

  2. Pari Butwal  

✔ The place we call Butwal now is called Kasauli before in fact, this is the actual Butwal Bazaar and it was called Batauli.

✔ This place was one of the major business centers in Nepal, there was a time when this place was bustling and full of activities.

✔ Back in the day, Batauli bazaar was a major market for Northern mountainous regions, merchants from Kashmir, India were invited there in this area for trade so Kashodhan arrived from Kashmir and established their trade.

✔ We can still see a lot of activity in the area mostly we can see people indulging in various food items in this area.

✔ After the construction of the Siddhartha Highway Pari Butwal began to lose its former glory.

✔ Butwal Bazaar began shifting towards the Eastern bank of the river resulting over the years the city sort of transformed into a lifeless city.

✔ Business and trade diminished due to discomfort in living, the human activity reduced significantly in the area.

✔ The traditional ways and originality of the area slowly fading away, and the coming generation might not be able to see that Batauli because it’s slowly degrading.

✔ They need to take some steps toward preserving the authenticity of this place, this place has the potential to transform itself into a great tourist destination.

✔ We can organize things like heritage walks in the evening or heritage marathons, and there are still some ancient sites and structures worth visiting in Batauli.

✔ You can pay your respects at the 200-year-old Saatman Narayan temple, this ancient temple still looks in mint condition.

✔ We can see the ancient craftsmanship and traditional construction materials in the temple.

✔ There is an ancient house in Batauli with a Peacock(Mayur) window, back in the day there were only two Mayur windows other than Kathmandu, and this is one of those iconic windows.

  3. Jitgadi  

✔ Jitgadi Fort where Gorkhali forces bitterly defecated the British army, this fort reminds us of the historical clash between Ujir Singh Thapa and Sullivan Wood.

✔ A war is fought with strategy and intellect, the patriotism of Gorkhali forces and the strategies of Ujir Singh defeated the British forces.

✔ Several British force statues are on one side of the Jitgadi Fort, which feels as if they are attacking the Jitgadi Fort (Killa), the British forces are laden with guns, arrows, spears, and other weapons.

✔ Whereas on the Gorkhali side, even a mother carrying a child is fighting, we can see that the Gorkhali forces are also well prepared and ready to defend.

  4. Fulbari  

✔ Mani Mukunda Sen Park also called Fulbari Park during the period of the Sen dynasty, it’s an enjoyable place, ideal for relaxation and a peaceful time.

✔ It’s very serene out there far from the chaos of the city, you can immerse yourself in the park or the beautiful views in the Park.

✔ The 15th century King Mani Mukunda Sen had established his Winter palace in this place.

✔ This place is around 500 meters from Jitgadi Fort, there was a tunnel system from this park to the Jitgadi fort.

✔ We can still see the remnants of that tunnel system in Jitgadi, during the Nepal-British war, Ujir Sing Thapa used the tunnel to get to the castle and command it.

✔ This is a conversation effort before either forest covers the site, or settlements spread all over the area, this is the culmination of 40 years of such efforts to transform it into a park.

✔ This place preserves the history of the bravery of the Nepalese people against the British Empire, it has preserved a sen dynasty palace.

✔ A portion of the old wall seems intact, and we can see old bricks strewn in the courtyard.

  5. Siddhababa  

✔ Siddhababa temple is located a short distance from Butwal and Goalpark, two famous temples with the same name in the very short distance.

✔ After riding 3 km along the Siddhartha highway you’ll arrive at Siddhartha temple there is another Siddha Baba temple located nearby, which lies in Rupandehi district.

✔ There was a lot of flooding and landslides in this region, and it was very difficult for the pilgrims to travel there during monsoon. The roads are blocked and rocks fall from above.

✔ The devotees established a new Siddha Baba near Goalpark, and they asked for forgiveness from Siddhababa and vowed to worship him at the new site.

✔ There is a symbolic site up there at the cave, there is a place where he meditated there’s a bush and a cave behind that.

✔ There is a Shiva Linga and a Trishul inside the cave, they go there and pay respects during Shiva Ratri.

✔ Everyone couldn’t climb up to that cave so, this temple was established there.