Rajbiraj

Rajbiraj (Nepali: राजविराज) is a mid-sized municipality located in the south-eastern part of Madhesh Province of Nepal. The city is also called the "Pink City of Nepal" because the township was designed in 1938 based on influence from the "Indian Pink City" Jaipur - thus making it the first township in Nepal to receive urban planning. Rajbiraj is the district headquarters of Saptari which is transferred from old district headquarter Hanumannagar in 1944 and is the eighth largest city in the province. It was declared a municipality in 1959. According to the 2021 census, the city had a population of 70,803 making it the 77rh largest municipality in Nepal. The city area is spread over 55.64 km² (21.48 sq mi) and comprises 16 wards.

The city is named after the ancient temple of Rajdevi, rebuilt by the Sena kings in the early 14th century. Rajbiraj has prominently served as a politically active town in the modern history of Nepal and has been the hometown to a number of icons of the nation. Rajbiraj comes under the Saptari 2(B) assembly constituency which elects a member to the Provincial Assembly of Madhesh Province once every five years and it is a part of the Saptari 2 constituency which elects its MP once in five years.

Roadways are the major mode of transportation to the town but it also has air connectivity. The major trade routes to the town are offered by the Nepalese metropolis of Biratnagar situated 78 km (48 mi) east to the city as well as the Indo-Nepal border of Kunauli situated 10 km (6.2 mi) south to the city.

The city is part of the Mithila region which was an ancient kingdom which rose to prominence under King Janaka (c. 8th-7th centuries BCE). The city is historical twin city of Janakpur also known to be a seat of Kushadhwaja the brother of King Janka whose two daughters Mandavi and Shrutakirti were married to Bharata and Shatrughna respectively. Kushadhwaja later ruled the area through his ministers and moved to Sankasya. During the Medieval Period around 520 CE, King Salahesh reigned over Mithila region and made his capital near Lahan, 35 km west to Rajbiraj. The most powerful and prominent kingdom, Karnat dynasty comes into power and ruled Mithila (also known as Tirhut) from the 11th century to the early 14th century. The fifth of karnat dynasty, Shaktisingh Dev (r. 1285 to 1295 CE) was travelled through this region after transferring his supremacy to his younger son Harisimhadeva and built the famous and ancient Chinnamasta Bhagawati Mandir as well as his fort nearby the temple, which is known as Gadhi Gaachhi locally. After the fall of Karnat dynasty, the Sena dynasty which was entered in Mithila, through Rupnagar from Bengal around early 13th century started ruling this region from the 15th century to the 18th century. The Rajdevi Temple was rebuilt by Sena king in the early 14th century and also known to be family temple of Kushadhwaja. Within the periphery of Rajbiraj there were small shrines dedicated to Mandavi, Urmila and Shrutakirti but have lost with time.

After the Treaty of Sugauli in 1816 the region become part of Kingdom of Nepal. Rajbiraj is one of the few cities given the status of municipality when Nepal's monarchy was restored in the 1950s. The first city of Nepal to be urban planned is rajbiraj. The Nepal government plans to develop it as a model city. Chief Engineer and Architect Dilli Jang Thapa designed Rajbiraj based on Indian city Jaipur. The city is now recognized as an educational capital of Eastern Nepal with various schools and colleges opening.

The city of Rajbiraj is named after Rajdevi Temple. The Meaning of Raj comes from the name of the Rajdevi temple which means "state" and biraj means "to reside" or "to live".

According to the National Population Census of 2021, Rajbiraj's population was 70,803, of which male and female are 36,284 and 34,519 respectively. The effective literacy rate was 76.60%, with male literacy at 85.30% and female literacy at 67.40%. The data on religion in 2011 showed Hinduism as the majority religion. Most people follow Hinduism as a religion. The Hindu population accounts for 87%, Muslim 10.89%, Jains 1.26% and Sikhs 0.64%. The city has also community of Muslims along with Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists. Rajbiraj is situated within one of the most ethnically diverse regions of Nepal, and the rural hinterland is home to a diverse cross section of Terai communities consisting of Kayastha, Deo, Yadav, Mandal, Muslim, Brahmin, Rajput, Marwari, Tharu, Badhai, Lohar, Sonar, Teli, Bania, Damai, Newar and Bahun.

Rajbiraj is one of the cities in Nepal that is connected by the East West Highway about 10 kilometres (6 mi) to the north and 17 kilometres (11 mi) to the east also known as Hulaki Rajmarg. It is well connected to other Nepalese cities by National Highway and Sub Highway. Buses are an important mode of intercity passenger travel. Besides that, electric rickshaws and microvans are another important means of traveling in local areas.