Jhapa District

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Jhapa district, a part of Mechi zone, is one of the seventy-five districts of Nepal, a landlocked country of South Asia. The district, with Chandragadhi as its district headquarters, covers an area of 1,606 km² and has a population (2001) of 688,109.

Jhapa is the easternmost district of Nepal and lies in the fertile Terai plains. It borders Ilam district in the north, Morang district in the west, the Indian state of Bihar in the south and east, and India's West Bengal state in the east.

It has an area of about 1606 km² and a population of about 7,000,000 (according to the census). It is divided into 47 Village Development Committees (VDCs) and three municipalities, namely Bhadrapur in the south, Mechinagar in the east and Damak in the west. Its major centers are Chandragadhi, Bhadrapur, Birtamod, Kakarbhitta, Damak, Dhulabari, Surunga, Charali, and Budhabare.

Jhapa is home to many indigenous tribes such as the Rajbanshi, Satar (Santhal), Meche, Koche, Gangain, Dhangad, Uraon, Dhimal, Rai, Limbu, Magar, Gurung and many others, besides the Brahmnins, Chhettris, and Newars.

Jhapa receives 2,500 to 3,000 mm of rainfall a year, and mostly during the monsoon season in the summer, and its hilly northern part receives more rainfall than down south. Its major rivers like Mechi, Kankai Mai, Ratuwa, Biring, Deuniya, Hadiya, and Ninda provide water for irrigation purposes. Due to its alluvial soil best suitable for agriculture, Jhapa has been the largest producer of rice and is therefore known as the Grain Grocery of Nepal. Besides cereal crops like rice and wheat, it is also one of the largest producers of jute, tea, supari (beetle nut), rubber and other cash crops. So, it is a boon for the farmers in Jhapa that they can earn their living with the help of agriculture alone too.

Jhapa also has vast areas of forests like Deonia, Charali, Charkose Jhaadi, Sukhani, Jalthal and others. Its name itself is derived from the Rajbanshi word "jhapa" meaning "canopy", which proves that the area was a dense forest in the past. It was such a dense and dangerous forest that it was called Kaalapaani and prisoners were sent here to die of malaria and other diseases in the jungles.

Though the forest area has decreased in recent times due to ignorance, people are waking up to the fact that forests are necessary. Consequently, community forests can be seen in the district these days.

Jhapa is diverse and rich in culture and traditions due to its different tribes. All the tribes have their own languages, customs and traditions, and they celebrate their festivals with huge fervour and enthusiasm every year.

Jhapa also has several religious and historical sites of great importance like Kankai Mai, Kichakbadh, Satasidham, Arjundhara, Chillagadh, Biratpokhar, and Krishnathumki among others. It is believed that Pandu's son Bhim had killed Kichak in Kichakbadh (near Kechana in the south border) in the Mahabharat time and a great mela (festival) is observed on that day every year. There is also the historical fort of Chandragadh which gave its name to Chandragadhi, the headquarters of Jhapa district. Other sites too have their own religious and historical values. Besides, it is also the gateway to Darjeeling and Sikkim and the rest of north-east India from Nepal. So Jhapa has a great potential to attract tourists and pilgrims. Unfortunately, the government has yet to realize it and has provided negligible support in this regard.

Jhapa is one of the most developed districts of the country. It is linked to almost all of its villages and towns with roadways. There are schools and colleges in many parts of the district, and the people here have become very advanced. There is also an airport and a zonal hospital at Bhadrapur. Besides that, health centers have been set up in many parts. There is also a hospital for snakebites in the Charali camp in Charali, and it is very famous for curing patients of serious snake-bite. Another one is in Damak.

Today, the people of Jhapa, or the Jhapalis, have achieved responsible positions in the government and other sectors and they are leading on many fronts. They have become a major driving force in the country's development towards the new century.