Jagadishpur Reservoir

Jagadishpur is an irrigation reservoir in Kapilvastu, in the Tarai of Lumbini Province not far from the birthplace of the Buddha. Built up over the 1970s at the site of the older Jakhira lake and fed from the Banganga River, it is the largest reservoir in Nepal, covering about 225 ha (2.25 km²) at an altitude of 197 m. Being a managed store of water, its depth swings with the seasons — from roughly 2 m in the dry months to about 7 m in the monsoon.

Although built purely to supply irrigation water to the surrounding farmland, the reservoir has become one of the most important wetlands in the lowlands. It was designated a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance on 13 August 2003 (Ramsar site no. 1315).

The open water and reedbeds host large numbers of wintering waterbirds and a notable assemblage of threatened species. Records include the sarus crane and several globally threatened birds — among them the lesser adjutant, white-rumped, slender-billed and Egyptian vultures, and the greater and Indian spotted eagles — alongside fish, herpetofauna and mammals such as the smooth-coated otter, making it one of Nepal's premier birding sites.

The reservoir lies near Taulihawa, the district headquarters of Kapilvastu, and is an easy add-on for visitors travelling the Lumbini area, especially in winter when the bird numbers peak.