Temple, monastery or heritage site
Chaudandigadhi
The hill seat of the old Chaudandi kingdom in Udayapur, remembered for the Sen rulers of eastern Nepal and the Gorkha conquest.
Koshi Provinceउदयपुर
Udayapur District
Inner Terai valleys and forested Churia hills around Gaighat, with the old fort of Chaudandigadhi and a stretch of the Koshi Tappu wetlands.
- Province
- Koshi
- Headquarters
- Gaighat
- Area
- about 2,306 km²
- Places on Firfirey
- 3
About Udayapur
Udayapur lies in the south-west of Koshi Province, between the plains and the hills. Its core is the Triyuga valley, an inner Terai valley enclosed by the Churia range to the south and the Mahabharat range to the north. The Sun Koshi forms much of the northern boundary, with Okhaldhunga and Khotang beyond, while Saptari and Sunsari lie to the south and east.
Tharu, Magar, Rai, Danuwar and Brahmin-Chhetri communities live here, mostly farming rice, maize and vegetables. Udayapur also has a large cement works. Chaudandigadhi recalls the Sen kingdom that once ruled this area. Few travellers stay long, but birdwatchers visit the Koshi Tappu wetlands in its south-east, and Gaighat is a staging point on the roads north into the hills.
Places in Udayapur
Town or village
Gaighat
The headquarters of Udayapur district, a growing bazaar in the inner Terai valley of the Triyuga river.
Lake
Rauta Pokhari
A small sacred lake and temple in the hills of northern Udayapur, the focus of local pilgrimage and fairs.
Getting there
Gaighat is reached by road north from the East-West Highway, a short drive from the plains, and roads continue north into Khotang and Okhaldhunga. Long-distance buses link the district with Kathmandu. The nearest airports with regular flights are Biratnagar and Rajbiraj.
Best time to visit
October to March is the most comfortable period, dry and mild, with winter good for birds at Koshi Tappu; summers are hot, and the monsoon brings heavy rain and swollen rivers.
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.