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BIRGANJ isn't one of the best places to spend time in Nepal, but it sure beats Raxaul, its evil twin across the border. Nepal's busiest port of entry, Birganj has seen explosive growth in the past decade - its population has probably doubled since the 69,000 counted in the 1991 census - and has prospered from a corresponding boom in cross-border trade. Fortunately, it had the good sense to build a highway bypass and a new bus park, making the commercial core south of the prominent clocktower vastly more liveable. (Raxaul has done nothing to manage its traffic, and is all but paralyzed.) There's no conceivable reason you'd come here except to cross the border to or from Varanasi, Calcutta or other points in northeast India. Even then, you're more likely to use Sonauli because of its better connections within Nepal, although if you're visiting Nepal as part of a bigger tour of the subcontinent then travelling this route could save some backtracking. Buses connect Birganj with Kathmandu, Pokhara and a few major Tarai cities. The new bus park is located almost 1km east of the clocktower, beyond the bypass and off the map. Rikshas and shared tongas (horse carts) provide transport from there. If you're stranded in Birganj, you could probably kill a few hours in the old-ish market area around Maisthan , a mother-goddess temple just off the main drag. Beyond that, though, the city has little to offer: Adarsh Nagar is a fairly humdrum market area that's unlikely to appeal to anyone except Indian consumers, and the new west side of town is devoid of interest.
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