Birtamod
Encyclopedia
Birtamod is the commercial, educational and transport hub of Jhapa District
Jhapa District
Jhapa District, a district of Mechi Zone, is one of the seventy-five districts of Nepal. The district, with Chandragadhi as its district headquarters, covers an area of 1,606 km² and has a population of 688,109.-Location:...

. Ssrnamati Bazar, Kamatoli Bazar, Chakchaki Bazar and Surunga Bazar are some of the nearest local towns /settlements connected to Birtamod.

Transportation

Birtamod is connected to all parts of the country by a central highway, the Mahendra Highway
Mahendra Highway
Mahendra Highway also called East West Highway runs across the Terai region of Nepal, from Kankarbhitta in the east to Mahendranagar in the west, cutting across the entire width of the country. It is the longest highway in Nepal.-Overview:...

 (महेन्द्र राज्मार्ग्) which runs throughout the length of the country from east to west. Chandragadhi
Chandragadhi
Chandragadhi is a town and municipality and district headquarters of Jhapa District in the Mechi Zone of south-eastern Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 12,259 people living in 2345 individual households....

 Airport is located in Chandragadhi
Chandragadhi
Chandragadhi is a town and municipality and district headquarters of Jhapa District in the Mechi Zone of south-eastern Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 12,259 people living in 2345 individual households....

 (चन्द्रगडी) (about 12 Kilometers from Birtamod) and serves 3 to 4 daily flights to and from Kathmandu. Buddha Air
Buddha Air
Buddha Air Pvt. Ltd‎ is an airline based in Jawalakhel, Lalitpur District, Nepal, near Patan. It operates domestic services within Nepal, serving mainly large towns and cities in Nepal, linking Kathmandu with nine destinations. Its main base is Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu...

, and Yeti Airways are some of the airlines that have daily flights to and from Kathmandu (काठमाडौं), the capital of Nepal.

Major Cities Nearby
  • Kakarvitta
  • Siliguri
    Siliguri
    Siliguri is a city in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located in the Siliguri Corridor or Chicken's Neck - a very narrow strip of land linking mainland India to its north-eastern states. It is also the transit point for air, road and rail traffic to the neighbouring countries of Nepal,...

    , India
  • Biratnagar
  • Chandragadhi
    Chandragadhi
    Chandragadhi is a town and municipality and district headquarters of Jhapa District in the Mechi Zone of south-eastern Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 12,259 people living in 2345 individual households....

  • Damak
    Damak
    Damak is a town and municipality in Jhapa District in the Mechi Zone of south-eastern Nepal. It is situated between the Ratuwa River in the east and the Mawa River in the west. As of 2001 census total population of city is 35,009...


Demography

Birtamod has a small population, and the major ethnicities living there are Rajbanshi
Rajbanshi
Rajbanshi . According to the local myths, their ancestor Koch king Hajo established the kingdom of Kampur by the end of 15th century. There is also another legend concerning the ancestry of the Rajbanshis. When Parshuram had started destroying the Chhetria dynasty in India as his father's revenge,...

, Rai
Rai
Rai may refer to:Acronyms*RAI, radioactive iodine, in the medical context of the treatment of thyroid problems*RAI, Radiotelevisione Italiana, Italian public broadcasting*Praia International Airport in Cape Verde, IATA airport code...

, Tharu, Limbu
Limbu people
The Yakthung or Limbu tribes and clans belong to the Kirati nation or to the Kirat confederation.They are indigenous to the hill and mountainous regions of east Nepal between the Arun and Mechi rivers to as far as Southern Tibet, Bhutan and Sikkim....

, Newar
Newar
The Newa , Newār or Newāl) are the indigenous people and the creators of the historical civilization of Nepal's Kathmandu Valley. The valley and surrounding territory have been known from ancient times as Nepal Mandala, its limits ever changing through history.Newas have lived in the Kathmandu...

, Chhettri
Chhettri
Chhetri or Chhettri , synonymous with Kshetri and Khatri are all derivatives of Kshatriya , the warrior and ruler caste group or varna of Hinduism. Chhetris speak Khasa Nepali, the national language, and are part of the dominant Khasa culture and the wider Pahari Indo-Nepali population...

, Brahmins and various others. Majority of the people in Birtamod are Kirant
Kirant
Kirat or Kirati are indigenous ethnic groups of the Himalayas extending eastward from Nepal into India, Burma and beyond. They migrated to their present locations via Assam, Burma, Tibet and Yunnan in ancient times...

's and Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...

's are the largest in majority but have significant numbers of Muslims and Buddhists.

As of 2010, the official total population of Sharnamati stood at 27,762. Male population was 14,219, female population was 13,543 and the number of households were 5,899. However, current population is much more than from 2001. The latest figure is estimated at about 34500.

Climate

Climate of Birtamod is very hot and humid during summer, and mild and dry during winter. During the summer, temperatures can reach 36 degree Celsius, and the low in winter is about 12 degree Celsius. Rainfall is abundant during the monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...

 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
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...

, wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...

, mustard
Mustard plant
Mustards are several plant species in the genera Brassica and Sinapis whose small mustard seeds are used as a spice and, by grinding and mixing them with water, vinegar or other liquids, are turned into the condiment known as mustard or prepared mustard...

 and tea
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...

 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
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...

 Estates and processing factories are located just east of Birtamod. Giri Bandhu Tea Estate
Giri Bandhu Tea Estate
Giri Bandhu Tea Estate is a large sized tea company based in Jhapa, Nepal. Founded in the early 1960’s by late Padam Padam Bahadur Giri, it is one of the biggest players in the Nepalese Tea industry. The company is located just off Birtamod, and is visible on both sides of the Mahendra HWY. The...

 (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 like most others' in Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...

. 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) provided by Nepal Telecom
Nepal Telecom
Nepal Telecom or Nepal Telecommunications Corporation is the leading and the largest government owned telecommunication company of Nepal. It is also known as Nepal Doorsanchar Company Limited . A former government monopoly, it was converted into a Public Limited Company on April 14, 2004...

 (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
    Diwali
    Diwali or DeepavaliThe name of the festival in various regional languages include:, , , , , , , , , , , , , popularly known as the "festival of lights," is a festival celebrated between mid-October and mid-December for different reasons...

     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.

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.
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