TARAI

also spelled Terai region of northern India and southern Nepal running parallel to the lower Himalayan ranges. A strip of undulating former marshland, it stretches from the Yamuna River (west) to the Brahmaputra River (east). At its northern edge are numerous springs forming several streams, including the important Ghaghara River, that intersect the Tarai (meaning moist land) and are responsible for its marshy character. Interspersed with the Tarai is the Bhabar, which is a region of coarse gravel and shingle deposits supporting sal (Shorea robusta) forests. Drainage and cultivation of the area, once extremely malarial, have diminished the marshlands. The eastern part of the Tarai is known in West Bengal state and in Bangladesh as the Duars.