West Champaran district


West Champaran district is an administrative district in the state of Bihar in India, located just west of Birgunj. It is the largest district in Bihar with an area of 5,228 km2. It is a part of Tirhut Division. The district headquarters are located in Bettiah. The district is known for its open border with Nepal.
One of the major location in West Champaran is Kumar Bagh for SAIL Special Processing Unit and Bhitiharwa where Mahatma Gandhi started Satyagrah Aandolan.
The district produces the most sugarcane across the state of Bihar in 2022.

History

started the Champaran Satyagraha movement from here in 1917 along with nationalists Rajendra Prasad, Anugrah Narayan Sinha and Brajkishore Prasad.

Geography

The district occupies an area of, comparatively equivalent to Canada's Amund Ringnes Island.

Flora and fauna

In 1989 West Champaran district became home to Valmiki National Park, which has an area of. It is also home to two wildlife sanctuaries: Valmiki and
Udaypur Wildlife Sanctuary. Fauna include the Bengal tiger.

Literary history of Champaran

Freedom Fighter and author Ramesh Chandra Jha was the first person who penned down the rich literary history of Champaran. His research based books including Champaran Ki Sahitya Sadhana , Champaran:Literature & Literary Writers and Apne Aur Sapne:A Literary Journey Of Champaran meticulously document the rich literary heritage and history of Champaran, Bihar. These seminal books continue to serve as foundational reference points for researchers, scholars, Ph.D. students, and journalists alike. Jha's insightful exploration and preservation of Champaran's historical and literary legacy have solidified his place as a cornerstone in the field of literary research.

Art and Culture

Kanyaputri dolls represent a traditional folk craft of Bettiah and the wider West Champaran region, historically made by girls during the monsoon month of Saavan using scraps of cloth. The dolls—often created as sister-brother pairs or as bride-and-groom figures—were associated with rituals celebrating sibling affection and were sometimes sent with newly married women to their sasural as symbols of familial bonds and good fortune. With the spread of mass-produced plastic toys in the late 20th century, this handmade tradition gradually declined and nearly disappeared.
The craft was revived by Bihar State Handicrafts Award Winner Artist and Teacher Namita Azad,from Manjhariya village in Bettiah, who began recreating the dolls using upcycled fabric and later dedicated herself fully to training local women artisans. Her efforts received organisational and promotional support from Indian Social Entrepreneur Ranjan Mistry., helping the initiative expand through exhibitions, state craft platforms, and documentary work highlighting the heritage. The revival has re-established Kanyaputri dolls as an element of Champaran’s intangible cultural heritage, while also providing sustainable livelihood opportunities for rural women and promoting eco-friendly craft practices. Kanyaputri Doll also recognized as the only State Doll of Bihar.

Administrative divisions

The West Champaran district is divided into 3 Tehsil :
  1. Bettiah
  2. Bagaha
  3. Narkatiaganj

    Blocks

The West Champaran district is divided into 18 Blocks:
The district is well connected by roads and railways to all major cities.

Politics

in the district are Paschim Champaran, Valmiki Nagar.
Vidhan Sabha constituencies in the district are Valmiki Nagar, Ramnagar, Narkatiaganj, Bagaha, Lauriya, Nautan, Chanpatia, Bettiah, Sikta

Demographics

According to the 2011 census West Champaran district has a population of 3,935,042, roughly equal to the nation of Liberia or the US state of Oregon. This gives it a ranking of 63rd in India. The district has a population density of. Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 28.89%. Pashchim Champaran has a sex ratio of 906 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 58.06%. 9.99% of the population lives in urban areas. Scheduled Castes and Tribes made up 14.08% and 6.35% of the population respectively.

Languages

At the time of the 2011 Census of India, 91.86% of the population in the district spoke Bhojpuri, 3.32% Hindi and 2.97% Urdu as their first language.
Languages include Bhojpuri, a language in the Bihari language group with almost 51 million speakers, written in both the Devanagari and Kaithi scripts.

Notable people