Bhairahawa to Launch Night Market Initiative to Boost Tourism and Economy

Rupandehi. An initiative will be taken to operate a night market in Bhairahawa, Rupandehi. The Siddharth Network, Rupandehi, will consult and initiate necessary steps with the local government (Siddharthanagar Municipality), the District Administration Office, and the District Police Office for operating the night market in this area.

Anil Kumar Gyawali, the Chairman, stated that this decision was made during the network's review and planning meeting held on Magh 19 and 20 in Baghkhor, Kawasoti Municipality-15, Nawalparasi (Bardaghat-Susta-East), Nawalpur. Chairman Gyawali mentioned that although a committee was formed previously to operate the night market, the necessary work has yet to proceed.

He emphasized the need for the support and cooperation of the police-administration and the local government to operate the market. He informed that the network had previously taken initiatives and would start efforts again. He stated that Siddharthanagar Municipality should show special interest in this matter.

“The highest number of tourists enter Nepal via the Belahiya border crossing by land, but the length of stay for tourists in Bhairahawa, the main gateway to Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautam Buddha, has not been extended. There is an extreme necessity for a night market to keep tourists who pass through Belahiya in Bhairahawa for at least one day,” said Chairman Gyawali.

He suggested that the night market could operate at least two days a week, featuring stalls of local food items, cultural presentations from various ethnic groups and communities, screening of documentaries based on the life of Gautam Buddha, and organizing various other programs.

Chairman Gyawali stated that the operation of the night market would increase the number of domestic and foreign tourists and help make the economic activities in this area more dynamic. Madhu Prasad Panthi, the General Secretary of the Siddharth Network, informed that the review and planning meeting finalized an 18-point annual action plan.

General Secretary Panthi further informed that decisions were made to launch pressure campaigns and hold discussions at relevant places for regular international flights from Gautam Buddha International Airport in Bhairahawa, to bring plans related to tourism promotion to solve tourist problems, and to identify and publicize tourist and religious sites.

He also mentioned plans to hold discussions and interactions with various organizations to initiate action with the concerned bodies to solve problems, to listen to the grievances of industrialists, businesspersons, and trade associations and present them to the relevant authorities, to conduct traffic awareness programs, to coordinate and discuss the law and order situation with security agencies, to discuss local development and physical construction issues with elected representatives of the local government, to hold discussions on the overall development opportunities and challenges of Bhairahawa, and to discuss quality education and health with the concerned bodies.

Furthermore, Vice Chairman Dr. Shanta Kumar Sharma of the network stated that decisions were made to initiate necessary steps to manage the border area, coordinate with government offices to provide necessary advice and suggestions, draw the attention of the concerned bodies to the problems here, and to initiate efforts with the relevant bodies for the management of land for a permanent venue in Bhairahawa for operating festivals in this area.

Senior Vice Chairman Chandra Prakash Shrestha stated that the Siddharth Network, Rupandehi, was formed about two and a half years ago by gathering organizations from the Bhairahawa area with the objective of raising a voice for the development of education, health, tourism, industry, and business sectors.