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| About Madhesh (Terai) |
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Madhesh ( मधेस), also known as Terai (or Tarai), is the flat southern region of Nepal which stretches from east to west. It is a part of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It occupies about 17% of the total land and is home to almost 48% of the total population of Nepal.
The Madhesh is a 20 to 30km wide belt of flat and fertile land along the southern edge of Nepal. To the south are the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, while the Mahabharat Range is to the north of Madhesh.
The Madhesh is a 20 to 30km wide belt of flat and fertile land along the southern edge of Nepal. To the south are the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, while the Mahabharat Range is to the north of Madhesh. |
Contrary to the frequent image of Nepal as a mountainous country with snow-covered Himalayas and Mongoloid people, the region is a flat, fertile land with people and culture mostly resembling the neighboring Hindu culture of India. The major traditional languages in the region are Maithili, Bhojpuri, Abashi and Janjati.
The eastern part of Madhesh was a part of the ancient kingdom Mithila with Janakpur as its capital |
| Origin of "Madhesh" and Variants |
| Terai is used to refer to the plain areas of Nepal & other foothill plain areas of southern himalayan belt. The word Terai or Tarai is assumed to be derived from Persian where it means 'damp' or 'moist land'. As such it strictly refers to a transition zone of springs and marshes between Bhawar alluvial fans at the base of the Churia Hills and level plains. These alluvial fans are made of coarse sediments through which groundwater moves easily downslope, whereas the plains have less pervious layers of fine sediments or even clays that virtually stop the percolation of groundwater, forcing it to the surface. |
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| Important Cities of Madhesh |
Biratnagar
Birganj
Bhadrapur
Dhangadhi
Inaruwa
Ithahari
Janakpur
Lahan
Lumbini
Mahendranagar
Mechinagar
Nepalgunj
Siddhartanagar |
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| Places to visit in Madhesh |
| Janakpur: Janakpurdham, historically called Mithila, is the centre of the ancient Maithili culture, which has its own language and script. |
| The most important historical reference to Mithila/Janakpurdham is in the Hindu epic Ramayana, where Lord Rama's wife Sita Devi (also called Janaki) is said to have been the princess of Videha. Her father, King Janak, found baby Sita in a furrow of a field and raised her as his daughter. When she grew up, the king announced that she should be wed by whoever was able to string the divine bow of Shiva. Though many royal suitors tried, Lord Rama, prince of Ayodhya, alone could even lift the bow. As Rama and Sita are major figures in Hinduism, Janakpurdham is an important pilgrimage site for Hindus. |
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| Lumbini: Lumbini (Sanskrit: लुम्बिनी, "the lovely") is a Buddhist pilgrimage site in the Kapilavastu district of Nepal, near the Indian border. It is the place where Queen Mayadevi is said to have given birth to Siddhartha Gautama, who in turn, as the Buddha Gautama, gave birth to the Buddhist tradition. The Buddha lived between roughly 563 and 483 BCE. Lumbini is one of four magnets for pilgrimage that sprang up in places pivotal to the life of the Buddha, the others being at Kushinagar, Bodh Gaya, and Sarnath. |
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Climate |
The Terai has a subtropical climate and it can often be humid. The best weather is from November to February, when day temperatures are from the mid 20°'s C to the high 20°'s C and it is cool, sometimes cold at night. It very seldom rains during this period.
From late April to the beginning of September the weather is hot, often going over 40°C. The monsoon goes from mid-June to mid-September, and this not a good time to visit. Most areas in the Terai get over 1500mm of rain in a year. |
| People: |
| The people in the region are mostly Indo-Aryan speaking, inhabiting the area for thousands of years, and are referred as Madhesis. The main religion of Madhesh (including all ethnic groups) is Hinduism, although the majority of Nepal's small Muslim minority live in Madhesh. Popular dress includes the traditional male Dhoti(Mardaani), Kurta,kameez, and typical janjati dress. Similarly, Saari(lugaa), blouse, kurtaa salwar, and typical janjati dress are worn by women. |
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