Hamro Mahendranagar

Bhim Dutta, formerly Mahendranagar (महेन्द्रनगर), is a city and municipality in far western Nepal, six kilometres from the border of India and theMahakali River. It is the headquarters of the district of Kanchanpur in the Mahakali Zone, which is inhabited by people of various races including the indigenous Tharu people.

Bhim Dutta is the 8th largest city in Nepal after the cities of Kathmandu, Pokhara, Lalitpur, Biratnagar, Dharan, Birganj and Bharatpur. It is 5 km east of the Indian border and 700 km west of Kathmandu. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census, it had a population of 62,050.^[1] According to the census of 2001, the city's population was 80,839.

The name of Mahendranagar was related to the name of late king Mahendra of Nepal. After becoming a republic in 2008, the city name was changed to Bhim Dutta.

Contents    [hide]  1 Society 2 Services 3 Transport and Communication 4 Border crossing 5 References

[edit]Society

Indigenous people are the Ranatharus but now people from all over country have migrated to the area but mostly from the districts such asBaitadi and Dadeldhura. Bhim Dutta is now the unique combination of all ethnic groups representing the overall society of Nepal. The festivals celebrated by people in Bhim Dutta fully reflect the blend of all groups. The ethnic Tharu people celebrate Dhikri festival while Brahmin andChhetri of Farwestern origin primarily celebrate Gora (commonly called Gaura Parba). Later Deepawali or Diwali appears as a major festival which includes Laxmi Pooja , Gai Tihar , and Bhai Tika. More recently Dashain has been accepted as a major festival.

[edit]Services

Bhim Dutta is the main business centre of the Mahakali Zone and it is a major provider of education, health and employment opportunities in west Nepal. Mahakali Zonal Hospital and other private hospitals provide health care. Similarly, Siddhanath Science Campus, Siddhanath Multiple Campus, Mahendranagar Medical College, Radiant Higher Secondary School, Adarsh College (Brixton College), International Public Higher Secondary School and other colleges provide advanced education. That is why students from other regions migrate here for education.

[edit]Transport and Communication

Telephone fax, email and Internet is available from here, there is a domestic airport in Bhim Dutta with air service to Kathmandu. Bus service connects Bhim Dutta to all the other parts of the country.Mahendra Highway, the longest highway of Nepal has its one end in Bhim Dutta the other being in eastern city Kankarbhitta And is also connected by some of the sub highways with the hill towns of Dipayal, Baitadi, Amargadhi, and Darchula.
Road transport is also linked with bordering India to Banbasa and Tanakpur through the bridges in Mahakali river making Bhim Dutta the nearest city of Nepal from New Delhi, the capital of city of India.

Bhim Dutta is also hub of activity for various industries running between India and Nepal. It is 13 km away from the famous Mahakali river. It is one of the best places to live in Nepal and also is host to Shuklafanta National Park.