Temple, monastery or heritage site · 150 m
Bageshwari Temple
Nepalgunj's main goddess temple, set beside a large pond in the heart of the city.
Lumbini Provinceबाँके
Banke District
A hot Terai border district centred on Nepalgunj, the main gateway for flights into the far west and Karnali, with Banke National Park to the north.
- Province
- Lumbini
- Headquarters
- Nepalgunj
- Area
- about 1,888 km²
- Places on Firfirey
- 3
About Banke
Banke sits on the plains of western Lumbini Province, bordering India to the south, Bardiya to the west and Dang to the east, with Salyan and Surkhet beyond the forested Churia hills to the north. The land is mostly flat Terai, crossed by the Rapti river, and rises only in the north where the Siwalik range is covered by sal forest, much of it protected within Banke National Park.
Nepalgunj, the headquarters, is a busy trading city close to the Indian border, with a mix of Pahadi, Tharu, Madhesi and Muslim communities and a strong Awadhi influence in language and food. Many travellers pass through on their way to or from the mountain airstrips of Karnali and Sudurpashchim. Others stop for the Bageshwori temple in Nepalgunj or head north to the national park, which links with Bardiya to protect a wider tiger habitat.
Places in Banke
National park or conservation area
Banke National Park
A young national park of sal forest and Churia hills, linking Bardiya with protected forest across the border.
Town or village · 150 m
Nepalgunj
A busy border city on the western Terai and the main air hub for Nepal's far west and Karnali.
Getting there
Nepalgunj has a domestic airport with regular flights from Kathmandu. By road, the East-West Highway crosses the district at Kohalpur, from where a short road runs south to Nepalgunj; from Kathmandu it is a very long day's drive, usually done overnight by bus.
Best time to visit
October to March is the best time, with warm days and cool nights, though winter can bring thick morning fog; April to June is very hot, and the monsoon brings heavy rain and humidity.
Other districts in Lumbini Province
Editorial draft: the district overview is being checked. Headquarters and Nepali names: nepal-places dataset (MIT). Area and map position computed from the district boundaries of the Government of Nepal, Survey Department, via OCHA.