Madhesh

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Madhesh (nepali:मधेश), 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 50% of the total population of Nepal.

The Madhesh is a 20 to 30 km wide broad belt of flat and fertile land stretching from the east to the west of Nepal. To the south are the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal, and the Sivalik/Chure Range is to the north of Madhesh.

Contrary to the frequent image of Nepal as mountainous country with snow-covered Himalayas and Mongoloid people, the region is a flat, fertile piece of land with people and culture mostly resembling to that of northern India. The major languages in the region are Maithili, Bhojpuri, Nepali and Hindi .

The eastern part of Madhesh was a part of the ancient kingdom Mithila with Janakpur as its capital.

1 Origin of "Madhesh" and variants
2 Geography
3 Climate
4 People
5 Politics
6 Economy
7 Tourism
8 Important Localities
9 See also
10 External links

[edit] Origin of "Madhesh" and variants

Terai is used to refer to all the Indo-Gangetic Plain region of northern India and southern Nepal. The word Terai or Tarai is assumed to be derived from Persian, which means 'damp' or 'moist land' in that language.

In Nepal, the Terai is also referred as Madhesh. The word 'Madhesh' is said to be derived from 'Madhya Desh' meaning 'country in the middle'. Some scholars show its origin in 'Matsya Desh' meaning 'country of fish', tracing its origin to the country described in the Hindu scripture the Mahabharata.

There are a number of dialectical forms and Western spellings in use which refer to the population of the Madhesh: Madheshi, Madhesi, Madesi, Mahadhesi.

[edit] Geography

Madhesh goes along the northern edge of the Gangetic plain. The Gangetic plain goes far into India and end at the Chure Hills (called the Siwalik Hills in India), where it goes up to 1000m immediately. It is never more than 40km wide.

The Terai of Nepal includes several valleys (dun), such as the Surkhet and Dang valleys in western Nepal, and the Rapti Valley (Chitwan) in central Nepal, and also referred as Inner Madhesh.

The Terai makes up 17% of the area in Nepal. The soil is generally fertile and there is good rain, which accounts for good crops.

[edit] 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 20º to the high 20º and it is cool, sometimes cold at night. It very seldom rains at this time.

From late April to the beginning of September the weather is mild, often going over 40ºC. 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.

[edit] People

Image:Janaki Mandir.jpg

Janaki Mandir of Janakpur, Nepal, is an icon of Madhesh.

The people in the region are mostly Indo-Aryan speaking, living since thousands year ago, and are referred as Madhesis, which included indigenous groups like Tharu as well. The kingdom of Buddha around 500 BC, Tirhut, Sen and other kingdoms were part of Madhesh. The main religion of Madhesh is Hinduism, although the majority of Nepal's small Muslim minority live in Madhesh. Popular dress includes the traditional Dhoti and Kurta.

[edit] Politics

A movement was recently formed in the Terai area of Nepal called the Madheshi movement which demands the end to the discrimination to the Madheshi people, greater autonomy within Nepal, and greater representation in the national parliament. The different parties involved in the movement range from the student wings of the ruling parties to the armed Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha. The demands thus are different. The peaceful parties involved demand a federal political system, whereas the armed rebels demand a separate state.

The government recently suppressed the movement by using "excessive use of force" (in terms of UN representative's words), in which at least 30 Madheshis died and hundreds others seriously injured.

[edit] Economy

Economically Madhesh is the most productive region of Nepal. Most of the major industries of in the country are established in the region.

Agriculture is the main economic stake of the region. Main crops are paddy, wheat, pulses, moong, sugarcane, jute, tobacco, and maize. Many agro-based industries like jute factories, sugar mills, rice mills and tobacco factories are established throughout the region.

[edit] Tourism

The main places to visit in Madhesh are Royal Chitwan National Park; Lumbini, the birth place of Buddha; and pleasant interesting Janakpur, the birthplace of Sita and where she married Rama, from the Ramayana.

The main east–west road through Nepal is the Mahendra Highway, which goes from the Karnali River at the western border of Bardia National Park to Kakarbhitta on the eastern border of Nepal in the east.