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Nautanwa

Nautanwa is a town and nagar palika parishad in Maharajganj district of Uttar Pradesh, India. Located close to the international border with Nepal, it is the administrative headquarters of Nautanwa tehsil and serves as a trading point between the two countries. The town is part of the Gorakhpur division.

Key facts

Country India
State Uttar Pradesh
Division Gorakhpur
District Maharajganj
Tehsil Nautanwa
Civic body Nagar Palika Parishad
Languages Hindi, Bhojpuri

Geography

Nautanwa lies in the Terai belt of northern Uttar Pradesh, on the plains south of the Himalayan foothills. The town is situated a short distance from Sonauli, the principal road crossing into Nepal, where the Indian district of Maharajganj meets Nepal's Rupandehi district. The terrain is flat alluvial land typical of the Gangetic plain, drained by tributaries of the Rapti river system.

Connectivity

Nautanwa is the terminus of a railway line that branches northwards from Gorakhpur, operated by the North Eastern Railway zone of Indian Railways. Nautanwa railway station is the closest broad-gauge railhead to the Sonauli–Bhairahawa border crossing, and is used by passengers travelling onward to Lumbini and other destinations in Nepal. The town is connected by road to Maharajganj, Pharenda and Gorakhpur, and to Bhairahawa and Butwal across the border.

Administration

Civic administration is carried out by the Nautanwa Nagar Palika Parishad. The town is part of Nautanwa Vidhan Sabha constituency, which sends a representative to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly. For Lok Sabha elections, Nautanwa falls within the Maharajganj parliamentary constituency.

Economy

The local economy is shaped by cross-border trade with Nepal through the Sonauli checkpoint, agriculture in the surrounding rural belt, and small-scale retail and transport services. Sugarcane, paddy and wheat are among the principal crops grown in the tehsil.

Significance

Because of its proximity to Sonauli, Nautanwa functions as one of the gateway towns between India and Nepal in eastern Uttar Pradesh. Pilgrims travelling to Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha, often pass through Nautanwa, particularly when arriving by rail.

References