Bettiah (Bɛtɪjɑː,Bɛtɪjɑː) is a city and the administrative headquarters of the West Champaran district (Tirhut Division) - (Tirhut), near Indo-Nepal border, 225 kilometres north-west of Patna, in Bihar. It was the seat of the majestic Bettiah Raj, established in the 17th century. Its palaces and temples narrate its magnificent history. It has a Roman Catholic Mission, which was established in 1740 and the municipality, established in 1869. It came on the rail-map of the country, as early as 1883 and witnessed the first experiment with non-violence by Mahatma Gandhi in India during his Struggle for the Abolition of Indigo Plantation in 1917.