BUTWAL

Butwal (Nepali: बुटवल) is a sub-metropolitan city and the urban core of a rapidly growing urban agglomeration in Nepal. It lies in Western Development Region, Lumbini Zone in Rupandehi District and it acts as the administrative headquarter for Lumbini Zone. It is situated at the bank of Tilottama River Tinau River 265 km west of Kathmandu, 161 km south of Pokhara, 147 km east of Ghorahi, Dang and 22 km north of Siddharthanagar Bhairawaha, at the northern edge of the Terai plain below the Siwalik Hills. Its name is derived from Batauli Bazaar in the town's oldest district.

Geographically, Butwal is the midpoint (Cross Roads) of the Nepal's National Highway, Mahendra Highway and Siddhartha Highway. It connects western Nepal to the capital Kathmandu through highway and air links. It has become one of the fastest-growing cities in Nepal in terms of mainly education, infrastructure, highway, marketing, health and safety, communication, trade and banking sectors. It has highway connections to the Indian border at Sunauli and to the hilly towns in Tansen and Pokhara valley, and has held the title of being "The Best City in Nepal" twice.

Some notable areas of Butwal are:

• Traffic chowk, also known as center of Butwal

• Amar path - usually known as a shopping line for clothing, food, furnishings, etc.

• Golpark, residential area on the shades of mountains

• Milan chowk - commercial area

• Devinagar - largest residential area; one of the fastest growing areas in Butwal

• Rajmarga chauraha - Junction

• Bus park - hotel area

• Sukha nagar - residential area

• Hat bazaar - weekly organized Bazaar (Saturdays and Wednesdays)

• Dipnagar - residential area

• Pari Butwal, also known as batauli

• Maina Bagar - Automobiles

Butwal was officially declared a sub-metropolitan city on 2 December 2014 by combining two neighbouring VDCs Motipur and Semlar.