Virata kingdom

Virata was a kingdom ruled by the Matsya king by the name Virata. It was here that the Pandavas spent their 13th year of anonymity (Ajgnata Vasa) after their 12 years of forest-life (Vana Vasa) in the forests of Kamyaka and Dwaita. Its capital was Virata Nagari, modern Biratnagar in the Morang district of Nepal. Upaplavya was another city in this kingdom where the Pandavas and their allies camped before the beginning of the great Kurukshetra War.

King Virata and his sons took part in the great war and perished. Virata's daughter Uttara married Arjuna's son Abhimanyu and gave birth to Parikshit who later became the Kuru king after the reign of the Pandavas. Buddhanagar: It is believed that Pandavs with wife Draupadi entered to Nepal through present day Buddhanagar, a suburb of Biratnagar. King Birat (Virat) let them stay in palace giving them various jobs. Archilogical survey in 1960 also found ruins of a temple estimated to be built around the 1st century BCE, around the time of Mahabharat.

Kichakbadh: During the exile Bhima killed the Kichak for abusing Draupadi. There is a place in Jhapa/Kishanganj district, the adjoining district, called Kichakbadh just within 50 km of Biratnagar and Kishanganj. This place is believed to be the one where Kichak was killed.

Arjundhara: There is also a famous place/ temple called Arjundhara in Jhapa district. It is believed that Arjun used to come to this place with his cows. One day he felt thirsty but there was no water around there. To make the water, he hit the ground with his arrow. It made a hole on the ground through which water evolved and Arjun and his cows quenched their thirst. The pond lying next to the temple is still believed to be filled with water from the hole made by Arjun.

See also

History of Nepal

References

• Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, translated to English by Kisari Mohan Ganguli