Temple, monastery or heritage site
Barahakshetra
A Hindu pilgrimage site dedicated to Vishnu's boar incarnation, where the Sapta Koshi river emerges from the hills onto the plains.
Koshi Provinceसुनसरी
Sunsari District
A busy Terai and foothill district with the hill-backed city of Dharan, the Koshi Barrage and the pilgrimage site of Barahakshetra.
- Province
- Koshi
- Headquarters
- Inaruwa
- Area
- about 1,197 km²
- Places on Firfirey
- 3
About Sunsari
Sunsari lies in the eastern Terai of Koshi Province, bordering Bihar in India to the south. The Sapta Koshi river forms its western edge as it leaves the hills, with Saptari and Udayapur across the river. Morang is to the east and Dhankuta rises in the hills to the north. Most of the district is flat plain, but its northern part climbs into the Churia foothills around Dharan.
The district mixes Tharu, Maithili-speaking and Muslim communities on the plains with Rai, Limbu, Magar and other hill groups, especially in Dharan, long associated with Gurkha service. Itahari is a major road junction and Inaruwa the headquarters. Travellers come for Dharan's temples and markets, the Bhedetar viewpoint, the Barahakshetra temple on the Koshi, and birdlife around the Koshi Barrage and Koshi Tappu.
Places in Sunsari
Town or village · 310 m
Dharan
A lively foothill city where the plains meet the Mahabharat hills, with hilltop temples, Gurkha heritage and the road up to Bhedetar.
National park or conservation area
Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve
A wetland reserve on the Sapta Koshi floodplain, home to Nepal's last wild water buffalo and known for its birdlife.
Getting there
The East-West Highway crosses the district through Itahari, where the Koshi Highway turns north to Dharan. Long-distance buses from Kathmandu take roughly a day and a night. The nearest airport is Biratnagar, a short drive to the east.
Best time to visit
October to March is the best time, dry and mild, and winter is good for birdwatching along the Koshi; summers are hot and humid, and the monsoon brings heavy rain and high river levels.
Other districts in Koshi 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.