The India–Nepal border is an

open Open or OPEN may refer to: Music * Open (band), Australian pop/rock band * The Open (band), English indie rock band * ''Open'' (Blues Image album), 1969 * ''Open'' (Gotthard album), 1999 * ''Open'' (Cowboy Junkies album), 2001 * ''Open'' (YF ...

international border Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders c ...

running between

Nepal Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...

and the

Republic of India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. The long border includes the Himalayan territories as well as

Indo-Gangetic Plain The Indo-Gangetic Plain, also known as the North Indian River Plain, is a fertile plain encompassing northern regions of the Indian subcontinent, including most of northern and eastern India, around half of Pakistan, virtually all of Bangla ...

. The current border was delimited after the

Sugauli treaty The Treaty of Sugauli (also spelled Sugowlee, Sagauli and Segqulee), the treaty that established the boundary line of Nepal, was signed on 4 March 1816 between the East India Company and Guru Gajaraj Mishra following the Anglo-Nepalese War ...

of 1816 between Nepal and the

British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...

. Following Indian independence, the current border was recognised as the border between the

Kingdom of Nepal The Kingdom of Nepal ( ne, नेपाल अधिराज्य), also known as the Gorkha Empire ( ne, गोरखा अधिराज्य) or Asal Hindustan ( ne, असल हिन्दुस्तान)(), was a Hindu king ...

and the

Dominion of India The Dominion of India, officially the Union of India,* Quote: “The first collective use (of the word "dominion") occurred at the Colonial Conference (April to May 1907) when the title was conferred upon Canada and Australia. New Zealand and N ...

Description

The border starts in the west at the western

tripoint A tripoint, trijunction, triple point, or tri-border area is a geographical point at which the boundaries of three countries or subnational entities meet. There are 175 international tripoints as of 2020. Nearly half are situated in rivers, l ...

with China near the Tinkar Pass. It then proceeds to the south-west through the

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...

, the

Sivalik Hills The Sivalik Hills, also known as the Shivalik Hills and Churia Hills, are a mountain range of the outer Himalayas that stretches over about from the Indus River eastwards close to the Brahmaputra River, spanning the northern parts of the Indi ...

and then the Gangetic plain, initially overland and then utilising the

Mahakali river or Sharda River Mahakali () is the Hindu goddess of time and death in the goddess-centric tradition of Shaktism. Similar to Kali, Mahakali is a fierce goddess associated with universal power, time, life, death, and both rebirth and liberation. She is the cons ...

. Just east of Majhola it turns to the south-east and proceeds in that direction overland, occasionally utilising various rivers and hill crests. North-west of Islampur the border turns to the north-east and proceeds overland to the eastern Chinese tripoint.

History

The border region has historically existed at the edge of various Indian and Nepali kingdoms. It took its modern shape during the period of

British rule in India The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...

which began in the 17th century. During the late 18th century the Nepali kingdom launched an

expansion Expansion may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''L'Expansion'', a French monthly business magazine * ''Expansion'' (album), by American jazz pianist Dave Burrell, released in 2004 * ''Expansions'' (McCoy Tyner album), 1970 * ''Expansio ...

drive, bringing them into conflict with the British and resulting in the

Anglo-Nepalese War The Anglo-Nepalese War (1 November 1814 – 4 March 1816), also known as the Gorkha War, was fought between the Gorkhali army of the Kingdom of Nepal (present-day Nepal) and the British forces of the East India Company (EIC, present-day Indi ...

(1814–16). Nepal was defeated, and by the

Treaty of Sugauli The Treaty of Sugauli (also spelled Sugowlee, Sagauli and Segqulee), the treaty that established the boundary line of Nepal, was signed on 4 March 1816 between the East India Company and Guru Gajaraj Mishra following the Anglo-Nepalese War ...

it was forced to cede large areas of land to Britain, effectively creating the modern India-Nepal boundary. Finding the

Terai The Terai or Tarai is a lowland region in northern India and southern Nepal that lies south of the outer foothills of the Himalayas, the Sivalik Hills, and north of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. This lowland belt is characterised by tall grasslands, scr ...

region difficult to manage, the British returned parts of it to Nepal in 1816. India gained independence in 1947, and three years later it signed a friendship treaty with Nepal, by which both countries agreed to respect the territorial integrity of the other. Since then relations have largely been cordial, though a number of border disputes remain. There have also been occasional blockades on the border at times of tension, for example in 1987 and

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...

. Communities living in India and Nepal close to the Indo-Nepal border have usually shared old, customary ties of kinship and resource access with communities across the border, such as along the western part of the Indo-Nepal border, in the Mahakali valley.

Border disputes

There are two existing territorial disputes between India and Nepal, over the

Kalapani territory The Kalapani territory is an area under Indian administration as part of Pithoragarh district in the Kumaon Division of the Uttarakhand state, K. C. SharadKalapani's new ‘line of control’ Nepali Times, 10 September 2004, p. 6 but it i ...

, a area at the India–Nepal–China trijunction in North West Nepal, and Susta, a – area in Southern Nepal.

Border crossings

There are several major border crossings that the Indian Integrated Check Posts (ICP) use for processing cargo customs and immigration entry for citizens of third countries. These are, from west to east: #

Banbasa Banbasa ( Kumaoni: बनबसा) is a census town in Champawat district in the state of Uttarakhand, India most famous for its border crossing into Nepal from India. The major occupation is Retail Stores. Demographics India census, Banbasa ...

Champawat district Champawat district is a district of Uttarakhand state in northern India. The town of Champawat is the administrative headquarters. The district of Champawat constituted in the year 1997. The district is divided into five tehsils: Barakot, Lohag ...

, Uttarakhand, India -

Kanchanpur District Kanchanpur District ( ne, :ne:कञ्चनपुर जिल्ला, कञ्चनपुर जिल्ला ), a part of Sudurpashchim Province in the Terai plain, is one of seventy seven districts of Nepal. The district, with Bhimdatt ...

, Sudurpashchim Province, Nepal # Rupaidiha in

Bahraich district Bahraich district is one of the districts of Uttar Pradesh state of India, and Bahraich town is the district headquarters. Bahraich District is a part of Devipatan Division. History According to some other historians in the middle age this pl ...

, Uttar Pradesh -

Nepalganj Nepalgunj (), also spelled Nepalganj, is a Sub-Metropolitan City in Banke District, Nepal. It lies on the Terai plains near the southern border with Bahraich district in Uttar Pradesh, India. Nepalgunj is 153 kilometers south-west of Ghorahi ...

Banke District Banke District ( ne, बाँके जिल्ला , a part of Lumbini Province, is one of the 77 districts of Nepal. The district, located in midwestern Nepal with Nepalganj as its district headquarters, covers an area of and had a popul ...

, Nepal #

Sonauli Sonauli is a town, near city of Maharajganj in Maharajganj district in Uttar Pradesh, India. It located on the Indo-Nepal Border and is a well-known and most famous transit point between India and Nepal. Sonauli is around 75 km from district ...

Maharajganj district Maharajganj district is one of the 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh state in northern India, and the town of Maharajganj is the district headquarters. District is a part Gorakhpur division. It is located in Terai regions of Himalayas, bordering Ne ...

, Uttar Pradesh, India - Belahia, Siddharthanagar in

Rupandehi District Rupandehi District ( ne, रुपन्देही जिल्ला; ), a part of Lumbini Province, is one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal and covers an area of . The district headquarter is Bhairahawa. As per the national census 2011, ...

, Nepal #

Raxaul Raxaul is a sub-divisional town in the East Champaran district of the Indian state of Bihar. It is situated at the India-Nepal border with Birgunj city (Nepal). Raxaul is a major railway junction. The Indian border town of Raxaul has become on ...

East Champaran district East Champaran is an administrative district in the state of Bihar in India.The district headquarters are located at Motihari. Prior to 1st Dec 1977, there was a single district called "Champaran". On 1st Dec 1977, the district was divided into 2 ...

, Bihar, India -

Birgunj Birgunj ( ne, वीरगञ्ज) is a metropolitan city in Parsa District in Madhesh Province of southern Nepal. It lies south of the capital Kathmandu, attached in the north to Raxaul in the border of the Indian state of Bihar. As an entr ...

, Nepal (also known as the 'Gateway of Nepal') #

Bhitthamore Shrikhandi Bhittha or Bhitthamore is an Indian village in the Mithila region of Bihar, situated near the Indo-Nepal border, on the banks of the perennial Ratnawati (Raato) river. Geography It has a Border checkpoint at the crossing to Malib ...

Sitamarhi district Sitamarhi is one of the districts in the Mithila region of the Indian state of Bihar, India. Dumra is the administrative headquarters of this district. The district is a part of the Tirhut Division and is located along the border of Nepal. H ...

, Bihar, India - Malibara,

Jaleshwar Jaleshwar ( ne, जलेश्वर) is a municipality in Janakpur Zone, Nepal, and the headquarters of Mahottari District of Madhesh Province in Nepal. It is located in the Terai, on the border with India at Bhitthamore, Bihar, and has a Cu ...

in Mahottari District, Nepal #

Jogbani Jogbani is a town, a notified area in Araria District of Bihar state, India. It lies on the Indo-Nepal border with Morang District, Koshi Zone and is a gateway to Biratnagar city. There is a customs checkpoint for goods at the border. Indian ...

Araria district Araria district is one of the thirty-eight districts of Bihar States and territories of India, state, India. Araria district is a part of Purnia division. The district occupies an area of . Araria town is the administrative headquarters of this d ...

, Bihar, India -

Biratnagar Biratnagar () is a metropolitan city in Nepal, which serves as the capital of Province No. 1. With a population of 242,548 as per the 2011 census, it is the largest city in the province and also the headquarters of Morang district. As per the p ...

, Nepal #

Panitanki Panitanki is a town in Darjeeling district of West Bengal, India. It is located on the India-Nepal border; a border crossing to Kakarbhitta in Nepal is located here. Panitanki is around 84 km from the district headquarters, Darjeeling. T ...

Darjeeling district Darjeeling District is the northernmost district of the state of West Bengal in eastern India in the foothills of the Himalayas. The district is famous for its hill station and Darjeeling tea. Darjeeling is the district headquarters. Kurse ...

, West Bengal, India -

Kakarbhitta Kakarbhitta (often written and pronounced Kakadbhitta or Kakarvitta) is a neighbourhood in Mechinagar Municipality in Jhapa District of Province No. 1, southeastern Nepal. Demographics At the time of the 1991 Nepal census, Mechinagar had a popul ...

, Nepal Since there are no fences along the border there are several smaller official and unofficial border crossings. Smaller official border crossings are known as Chhoti Bhansar (Minor Customs) in the

Nepali language Nepali (; , ) is an Indo-Aryan language native to the Himalayas region of South Asia. It is the official, and most widely spoken, language of Nepal, where it also serves as a '' lingua franca''. Nepali has official status in the Indian st ...

. These are, from west to east (by Indian state): Uttarakhand *

Jhulaghat Jhulaghat ( Kumaoni- Doteli:झुलाघाट) is a small suspension bridge over Kali river on Indo-Nepal border between Uttarakhand and Sudurpashchim. Uttarakhand is a state of India west of the Kali river while Sudurpashchim is a provin ...

Pithoragarh district Pithoragarh district is the easternmost district in the state of Uttarakhand. It is located in the Himalayas and has an area of and a population of 483,439 (as of 2011). The city of Pithoragarh, located in Saur Valley, is its headquarters. T ...

Mahakali Mahakali () is the Hindu goddess of time and death in the goddess-centric tradition of Shaktism. Similar to Kali, Mahakali is a fierce goddess associated with universal power, time, life, death, and both rebirth and liberation. She is the cons ...

Baitadi District Baitadi District ( ne, बैतडी जिल्ला ), historical name “Bairath” (बैराथ), a part of Sudurpashchim Province, is one of the 77 districts of Nepal. It is a Hill district. Baitadi, with Dasharathchand as its he ...

, Nepal

Uttar Pradesh * Gauriphanta in

Lakhimpur Kheri district Lakhimpur Kheri district is the largest Districts of Uttar Pradesh, district in Uttar Pradesh, India, on the border with Nepal. Its administrative capital is the city of Lakhimpur, Uttar Pradesh, Lakhimpur. Lakhimpur Kheri district is a part of ...

- Dhangadi, Nepal * Murtiha in Lakhimpur Kheri district -

Gulariya Gulariya ( ne, गुलरिया) is a municipality and headquarters of Bardiya District in Lumbini Province of south-western Nepal. It is located in the plains of the Terai region near the southern border with the Bahraich district, Uttar Pra ...

, Bardiya, Nepal * Tal Baghaura in Shravasti district - Laxmanpur, Nepal *

Tulsipur Tulsipur is a town and tehsil in the Balrampur district of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Geography Tulsipur is located near the India-Nepal border on the banks of the River Nakti (also known as River Siria) and is 23 km from Koilabas and ...

in Balrampur district -

Koilabas Koilabas is a bazaar town situated in Gadhawa Rural Municipality in Dang Deokhuri District in Lumbini Province of south-western Nepal. The town is situated on the southern edge of the Dudhwa Range of the Siwaliks, at Nepal's border with Uttar Pra ...

, Nepal *

Barhani Bazar Barhani is a town and nagar panchayat in Siddharthnagar District in Uttar Pradesh state, India. This town also has a railway station on the Gorakhpur- Gonda Broad Gauge line of Indian Railways. It is adjacent to the Nepal border from Krishnanag ...

Siddharthnagar district Siddharthnagar district is one of the 75 districts of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh also known as the birthplace of Gautama Buddha. Siddharthnagar is the district headquarters. Siddharthnagar district is a part of Basti division. It was unde ...

Krishnanagar Krishna Nagar or Krishnanagar may refer to: Places India * Krishna Nagar, Delhi ** Krishna Nagar metro station (Delhi) ** Krishna Nagar (Delhi Assembly constituency) * Krishna Nagar, Hyderabad * Krishna Nagar, Lucknow ** Krishna Nagar metro s ...

, Nepal Bihar * Bhikhna Thori in

West Champaran district West Champaran 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(2,019sq mi). It is a part of Tirhut Division. The district headquarte ...

Thori Thori ( ne, ठोरी) is a rural municipality in Parsa District in Province No. 2 of Nepal Nepal (; ne, :ne:नेपाल, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकत ...

Parsa District Parsa District ( ne, पर्सा जिल्ला), a part of Madhesh Province in Terai plain, is one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal. The district, with Birgunj as its district headquarters, covers an area of and has a population ...

, Nepal *

, Bihar - Jaleshwor in Mahottari District, Nepal * Pipraun in

Madhubani district Madhubani district is one of the thirty-eight districts of Bihar, India, and is a part of Darbhanga division. Its administrative headquarters are located in Madhubani. The district has an area of and has a population of 4,487,379 (as of 2011 ...

- Jatahi- Nagarain in

Dhanusa District Dhanusha District, (; ), a part of Madhesh Province, is one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal. It is situated in the Outer Terai. The district, with Janakpurdham as its district headquarter, covers an area of and has a population (2021 ...

, Nepal * Bhimnagar in Supaul district - Bhantabari- Haripur in

Sunsari District , nickname = , native_name_lang = , image_skyline = , image_size = , image_alt = , image_caption = Night view of Dharan, Itahari & Tarahara :: Barahakshetra Temple: BPKIHS, Dharan : Dharan Clock Tower , image_map = Sunsari district lo ...

, Nepal (via Kosi barrage) * Amgachhi in

Rangeli Rangeli is a Municipality and rural market town in Morang District in the Koshi Zone of south-eastern Nepal. This municipality was formed merging existing four villages i.e.Amgachhi, Babiabirta, Darbesa and Rangeli itself since May 2014. At the ...

Morang District Morang District ( ne, मोरङ जिल्ला ) is located in Province No. 1 in eastern Nepal. It is an Outer Terai district. It borders with Bihar, India to the South, Jhapa to the East, Dhankuta and Panchthar to the North, and Suns ...

, Nepal * Baria (Bairia bazar) in

Kishanganj district Kishanganj district is one of the thirty-eight districts of Bihar state, India, and Kishanganj town is the administrative headquarters of this district. Kishanganj district is a part of Purnia division (Seemanchal). History Kishanganj distric ...

Gauriganj Gauriganj is a city, tehsil and administrative headquarters of Amethi district in Faizabad division, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is situated about 126 km from Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh. It is located in Eastern Uttar Pradesh. B ...

Jhapa District Jhapa ( ne, झापा जिल्ला; ) is a district of Province No. 1 in eastern Nepal named after a Rajbanshi word "Jhapa" meaning "to cover" (verb). The latest official data, the 2021 Nepal Census, puts the total population of the ...

, Nepal *

Bairgania Bairgania is a town and notified area in the Sitamarhi district in the state of Bihar, India. Bairgania is one of the blocks of Sitamarhi districts and is a border of India that links Nepal via Rautahat District through a custom checkpoint. Bairg ...

Gaur The gaur (''Bos gaurus''; ), also known as the Indian bison, is a bovine native to South Asia and Southeast Asia, and has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1986. The global population was estimated at a maximum of 21,000 m ...

Rautahat District Rautahat District ( ne, रौतहट जिल्ला), a part of Madhesh Province, is one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal. The district headquarter is Gaur, including municipalities like Garuda, Chandrapur, Paroha, covers an area ...

, Nepal * Sonbarsa in

Malangwa Malangwa (Nepali: मलंगवा) is a town, a municipality, and the headquarters of Sarlahi District in Province No. 2 of Nepal. The district's oldest municipality, it is in parliamentary constituency 2. From the Mahendra Highway south of N ...

in Sarlahi District, Nepal * Jainagar in

- Inarwa Phulbariya in

Saptari District Saptari ( ne, सप्तरी जिल्ला}), a part of Madhesh Province, is one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal. Its district headquarter is Rajbiraj. Saptari is an Outer Terai district. This district covers an area of and has ...

, Nepal *

Laukaha Laukaha is a very old Border Town in the district of Madhubani in the Indian state of Bihar. It is close to the border with Nepal and the Nepalese town of Thadi. The population of Laukaha is between 11, 000 and 15, 000. Laukaha has a primar ...

Thadi Thadi ( ne, ठाड़ी) or Thadi Viswaspatti is a very old border town and a market place of Nepal in Siraha District bordering Indian town of Laukaha. It is currently part of Bhagwanpur Rural municipality. It is located nearly 370 kilomete ...

in Bhagwanpur near Lahan Mulcipality in

Siraha District Siraha District ( ne, सिराहा जिल्ला; ), a district in Madhesh Province, is one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal. It is situated in the Terai belt of Nepal. The district, with Siraha as its district headquarters, ...

. West Bengal *

Mirik Mirik is a small town and a Notified Area of Darjeeling district in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the headquarters of the Mirik subdivision. The name ''Mirik'' comes from the Lepcha words ''Mir-Yok'' meaning "place burnt by fire". H ...

- Pashupatinagar, Ilam, Nepal

Cross-border railway lines

8 railway lines between India and Nepal either exist or they are under construction or planning as follows (listed east to west):How poor rail connectivity is acting as a hindrance to India's Act East policy
Economic Times, 20 October 2020. # Babaganj-Nepalganj line - complete and operational: # Barhani-Kathmandu line - under planning: # Barhani-Kapilvastu line - under planning: # Nautanwa-Bhairwa line - under planning: # Raxaul-Kathmandu line - under planning: # Jaynagar-Bardibas railway line - mostly complete, except final and third phase (as of April 2022): 52 km out of total 68 km complete as of April 2022 while remaining is awaiting land acquisition. # Jogbanu-Biratnagar railway line - mostly complete, except 8 km long under construction section (as of April 2022): total 18.6 km. # Kakarbhitta-New Jalpaiguri railway line - under planning:

Border security

The India–Nepal border is relatively peaceful. Indian and Nepali nationals do not need passports or visas to enter each other's countries, and tens of thousands of people cross the border every day for tourism and commerce. The Indian side of the border is regulated by Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) along with local police. The Nepali side of the border is regulated by the Armed Police Force (APF) along with the local branch of

Nepal Police Nepal Police is the national and primary law enforcement agency of Nepal. It is primarily responsible for maintaining law and order, prevention of crime and crime investigation within the jurisdiction determined by the Constitution of Nepal. ...

. Often SSB (India) and APF (Nepal) perform joint patrols on the border. On a local level, Indian and Nepali district officials meet regularly to discuss security challenges and other issues on their respective border portions. Such meetings are usually attended by District Magistrates, local SSB representatives, customs chiefs from India including the Chief District Officer (CDO), local APF, Police and custom chiefs from Nepal.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:India-Nepal border Borders of India Borders of Nepal International borders

Description

History

Border disputes

Border crossings

Cross-border railway lines

Border security

See also

References