Bettiah (Hindi: , Urdu: ) is the headquarters of West Champaran district in the state of Bihar, near the Indo-Nepal border, 225 Kilometres north-west of Patna. Bettiah, pronounced as 'Betiya', derived its name from 'baint' (A special type of plant which is similar to cane; used for furniture making and also finds its application during festivities). It was grown here extensively in the past but not at present. The city inherits a very rich culture. It is the birth place of famous poet Gopal Singh 'Nepali'. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi started the Satyagraha movement from here in 1917 along with prominent nationalists Rajendra Prasad,Anugrah Babu and Brajkishore Prasad. In 1959, when The Prime Minister Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru visited Bettiah, said that "This city will be the fifth Metro City of the country.". During The British rule, the entire region surrounding Bettiah was extensively used for indigo plantation. Indigo cultivation yielded quick benefits to the British...
