Birtamod
| Birtamod बिर्तामोड | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s): Soul of Jhapa district | |
  Birtamod बिर्तामोड | |
| Coordinates: 26°38′N 87°59′E / 26.633°N 87.983°ECoordinates: 26°38′N 87°59′E / 26.633°N 87.983°E | |
| Country |
 Nepal |
| Zone | Mechi |
| District | Jhapa |
| Elevation | 300 m (1,000 ft) |
| Population (2001) | |
| • Total | 27,762 |
| Time zone | NPT (UTC+05:45) |
| Postal code | 57204 |
| Area code(s) | 23 |
Birtamod (Nepali: बिर्तामोड) is the commercial, educational and transport hub of Jhapa District. Sarnamati Bazar, Kamatoli Bazar, Chakchaki Bazar and Surunga Bazar are some of the nearest local towns/settlements connected to Birtamode.
History
Birtamod was a part of a great forest in those days. Due to the presence of mosquito and threat of malaria very few people inhabited here. Later, the forest were cleared off for cultivating the fertile lands. Slowly, peoples of the hills started to migrate here. These peoples were accompanied by the Nepalese who returned home from Indian territories of Assam and West Bengal. Birtamod started to rise when the East West Highway passed through it. Being at the physical center of the district, it started to rise a center for commercial activities. Birtamod took greater rise at the time of Maoist insurgency. Trade and banking of the whole district got concentrated in this place and Birtamod took great hike day by day. At present, it is not just the physical center of Jhapa District. Its heart of Jhapa.
Transportation
Birtamod is connected to all parts of the country by a central highway, the Mahendra Highway which runs throughout the length of the country from east to west. Chandragadhi (Bhadrapur) Airport is located in Bhadrapur (about 12 Kilometers from Birtamod) and serves 5 to 6 daily flights to and from Kathmandu. Buddha Air, and Yeti Airlines are some of the airlines that have daily flights to and from Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. There are various means of transportation in Birtamod but the major means of transportation is Via Local bus
Major Cities Nearby
Demography
Birtamode has a small population, and the major ethnicities living there are Rajbanshi, Rai, Tharu, Limbu, Newar, Chhettri, Brahmins and various others. Majority of the people in Birtamode are Kirant's and Hindu's are the largest in majority but have significant numbers of Muslims and Buddhists.
As of 2001, the official total population of Birtamod stood at 27,762. Male population was 14,219, female population was 13,543 and the number of households were 5,899.[1] However, current population is much more than from 2001. The latest figure is estimated at about 34,500.[2]
Climate
Climate of Birtamod is very hot and humid during summer, and mild and dry during winter. During the summer, temperatures can reach 40 degree Celsius, and the low in winter is about 2 degree Celsius. Rainfall is abundant during the monsoon season (June–September). There is little or no rainfall during winter, which makes it ideal for harvesting crops such as rice, wheat and Mustard.
Industry and Agriculture
Because of the fertile soil, the land around Birtamod is well suited for agriculture. rice, wheat, mustard and tea are some of the crops that are grown seasonally. Rice and Wheat is cultivated during the monsoon season when there is abundant rainfall, and harvested during the dry winter months. Several large Tea Estates and processing factories are located just east of Birtamode. Giri Bandhu Tea Estate (गिरी बन्धु चिया बगान), New Giri Bandhu and Sons Tea Estate, and Buttabari Tea Processing are the major ones.
Development and Communications
Birtamod is a developing and growing town than most others' in Nepal. The main area of Birtamod is a rapidly growing town with new building complexes, homes and local businesses constantly being built. Although the town is developing, communication infrastructure is properly established. The town is properly wired for telephone and Internet Access (Dial-up, ISDN, ADSL, Wi-Max) provided by Nepal Telecom (NTC). Several local cable distributors provide Cable TV access to most of the town and the surrounding local establishments.
Culture
The culture of Birtamod is a mix of cultures of various ethnicities, but these two festival seasons are the most important (Partly because of Nepal's 88% population being Hindu's).
- Dashain: (दशै) Dashain is celebrated by the Hindu's and is an exciting time for families to get together and meet relatives and each other. This festival last for 15 days. Celebrations and shopping are common during this time and so are religious ceremonies.
- Tihar and Diwali: (तिहार) Tihar lasts 5 days, and among the days is a day called Laxmi Puja which coincides with Diwali. Diwali is a Hindu festival of lights and colors. People light up their house with little lamps called diya, generally fueled with mustard oil and burst firecrackers all night long during the 5 days of Tihar. The most interesting part is everybody enjoys blasting fire crackers.
Incidents
- March 22, 2006: Nine policemen and three Maoist rebels were killed during a clash at Birtamod police station and traffic office. A group of Maoists, loaded in three trucks attacked the office at around 7:00 am. In the attack, 20 policemen and 2 civilians were injured. The injured civilians were under detention and were being held in police custody when the attack took place. Most of the injured policemen were airlifted to Kathmandu for immediate medical treatment because the local hospitals where not able to handle severe trauma victims. Several Maoists rebels were also killed and injured when the truck carrying the rebels overturned during retreat.[3]
Footnotes
- ↑ "Census Nepal, 2001". Retrieved February 15, 2008.
- ↑ "Travelpost.com - Birtamod, Nepal". Retrieved February 15, 2008.
- ↑ "Nepalnews.com - 9 policemen, three rebels killed in Birtamode clash (March 22, 2006)". Retrieved February 15, 2008.