Kechana Kawal

Name: Kechana Kawal
Address: Kechana Kawal, Kachankawal, Jhapa, Jhapa, Koshi Province, NP

Nepal's lowest ground (formerly)Lakes, rivers & nature◆ Hidden gem1 min read

Also known as: केचना कवल · Kechana Kalan · lowest point of Nepal · नेपालको सबैभन्दा होचो ठाउँ

For decades the official lowest point of Nepal, at about 70 m above sea level, marked by a pillar among rice fields in the far south-eastern tip of Jhapa. A 2017 survey moved the title to Dhanusha — but this is still the symbolic bottom of a country famous for its tops.

Nepal holds the highest point on Earth, so its lowest point has a certain charm. For many years schoolbooks named Kechana Kawal in Jhapa, at around 70 metres above sea level, as the bottom of the country. A marker pillar stands here, set up during King Birendra's reign.

The title moves west

In 2017 a new government survey measured Mukhiyapatti Musharniya in Dhanusha district at 59 metres and declared it the new lowest point. Different sources still quote different figures for Kechana, so treat the numbers as approximate. What stays true is the drop: from 8,848.86 m to well under 100 m within about 200 km.

What you'll find

Flat paddy fields, bamboo clumps, Rajbanshi and Santhal villages and a quiet stretch of the India border. It is less about a view and more about standing somewhere with a story. Combine it with a village lunch and the ruins of Kichakbadh.

Local life

South Jhapa is home to Rajbanshi, Santhal (Satar), Dhimal and Tajpuriya communities alongside hill settlers, and village haat markets are a lively way to see it.

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