Dailekh District (Nepali: दैलेख जिल्ला pronounced [dʌi̯lekʰ] ) a part of Karnali Province, is one of the 77 districts of Nepal. The district, with Dailekh as its district headquarters, covers an area of 1,502 km2 (580 sq mi) and had a population of 225,201 in 2001[2] and 261,770 in 2011.[3]

Dailekh District
दैलेख जिल्ला
View of fields in Guranshe
View of fields in Guranshe
Location of Dailekh District (dark yellow) in Karnali
Location of Dailekh District (dark yellow) in Karnali
Coordinates: 28°50′15″N 81°42′28″E / 28.83750°N 81.70778°E / 28.83750; 81.70778
Country Nepal
ProvinceKarnali Province
Admin HQ.Dailekh (Narayan)
Municipality
Government
 • TypeCoordination committee
 • BodyDCC, Dailekh
 • HeadMr. Prem Bahadur Thapa
 • Parliamentary constituencies2 seats
List
  • Dailekh 1
  • Dailekh 2
 • Provincial constituencies4 seats
List
  • Dailekh 1(A)
  • Dailekh 1(B)
  • Dailekh 2(A)
  • Dailekh 2 (B)
Area
 • Total1,505 km2 (581 sq mi)
Highest elevation
4,168 m (13,675 ft)
Lowest elevation
544 m (1,785 ft)
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Total260,855
 • Density170/km2 (450/sq mi)
Demographics
 • Ethnic groupsChetri, Kami, Thakuri
 • Female 51%
Human Development Index
 • Literacy62%
Time zoneUTC+05:45 (NPT)
Postal Codes
21600, 21602, 21603, 21604, 21605, 21607..., 21610
Telephone Code089
Main Language(s)Nepali
Major highwaysMid-Hill (under cons.)
Websiteddcdailekh.gov.np

Etymology edit

It is said that the name Dailekh is derived from Dadhi Lekh. Dadhi stands for Dadhichi. Dadhichi was a sage in ancient time and Lekh mean hill. Etymologically ‘Dadhi Lekh’ means the hill where sage Dadhichi meditated.[4][5] There is also another story about name that, in ancient time it was a place of Devatas, so it called "Daibalok" which later became 'Dailekh'.[4][5]

History edit

Dailekh District was a part of Khasa kingdom during 12th to 14th century.[6] Sinja Valley was the ancient capital city and powerful town of the Khasa Kingdom[7]: 76 [8] After the fall down of the Khasa Kingdom it divided into many small kingdoms. Before the unification of modern Nepal, the area of the Karnali region had a united kingdom named Baise Rajya (Twenty two principalities). Dailekh principality was one in twenty two principalities.

Geography and climate edit

Dailekh is a high, hilly district out of ten districts of Karnali Province. It is situated at coordinates of 28° 35' 00" N to 29° 08' 00" N Latitudes and 81° 25' 00" E to 81° 53' 00" E of Longitudes. The lowest elevation is 544m and the highest elevation is 4,168m. The headquarter is situated at an elevation of 1448m. The district has covered 80% of mid-hill land and 21% of high-hill land. The total area of the district is 1,505 square kilometres (581 sq mi).[5]

On the basis of altitude,this district can be classified into 4 different sub-categories:

Climate Zone[9] Elevation Range % of Area
Upper Tropical 300 to 1,000 meters
1,000 to 3,300 ft.
16.7%
Subtropical 1,000 to 2,000 meters
3,300 to 6,600 ft.
64.5%
Temperate 2,000 to 3,000 meters
6,400 to 9,800 ft.
16.1%
Subalpine 3,000 to 5,500 meters
9,800 to 18,044 ft.
 2.4%

Transportation edit

Dailekh is connected with Birendranagar (the capital city of Karnali Province) with a road called Dailekh road (F-48). Dailekh road meets to Ratna Highway (NH-12) at Birendranagar (Surkhet). Ratna Highway is connected with Mahendra Highway (NH-1) at Kohalpur. Through Mahendra Highway one can get access to Kathmandu, Pokhara and other cities of Nepal.

There is another road connecting Dailekh to Karnali Highway (NH-13) via Dullu.

The national capital Kathmandu is at distance of 647.41 kilometres (402.28 mi) from Dailekh.

The nearest airport for Dailekh is Surkhet Airport which is about 70 kilometres (43 mi) at distance from Dailekh.

Demographics edit

Historical population
Census yearPop.±% p.a.
1981 166,527—    
1991 187,400+1.19%
2001 225,201+1.85%
2011 261,770+1.52%
2021 253,319−0.33%
Source: Citypopulation[10]

language in Dailekh District

  Nepali (98%)
  Magar (2%)

At the time of the 2011 Nepal census, Dailekh District had a population of 261,770

As their first language, 97.9% spoke Nepali, 1.5% Magar, 0.2% Gurung, 0.1% Kham, 0.1% Tamang and 0.1% other languages.[11]

Ethnicity/caste: 34.8% were Chhetri, 18.6% Kami, 14.1% Thakuri, 10.9% Hill Brahmin, 9.2% Magar, 5.0% Damai/Dholi, 3.1% Sarki, 1.5% Sanyasi/Dasnami, 1.3% Gurung, 0.3% Badi, 0.3% Newar, 0.2% other Dalit, 0.2% Musalman, 0.1% Kumal, 0.1% Tamang and 0.1% others.[12]

Religion in Dailekh District (2011)
Religion Percent
Hinduism
97%
Buddhism
2%

[13]

Religion: 97.4% were Hindu, 1.9% Buddhist, 0.5% Christian and 0.2% Muslim.[14]

Literacy: 62.3% could read and write, 3.3% could only read and 34.3% could neither read nor write.[15]

Constituency edit

Dailekh comprises 2 parliamentary seats and 4 provincial seats:

Constituency Area Seat MP/MLA Party
Dailekh 1 Parliamentary Rabindra Raj Sharma Nepal Communist Party
Dailekh 2 Parliamentary Raj Bahadur Buda Chhetri Nepal Communist Party
Dailekh 1(A) Provincial Dharma Raj Regmi Nepal Communist Party
Dailekh 1(B) Provincial Amar Bahadur Thapa Nepal Communist Party
Dailekh 2(A) Provincial Sushil Kumar Thapa Nepal Communist Party
Dailekh 2(B) Provincial Raj Bahadur Shahi Nepal Communist Party

Divisions of Dailekh edit

As per the new constitution of Nepal 2015, the district is divided into 4 urban municipalities and 7 rural municipality;

# Municipality Type Area Population Website
1 Narayan Urban 110.63 27,037 narayanmun.gov.np
2 Dullu Urban 156.77 41,540 dullumun.gov.np
3 Aathbis Urban 168 29,227 aathbismun.gov.np
4 Chamunda Bindrasaini Urban 90.6 26,149 chamundabindrasainimun.gov.np
5 Thantikandh Rural 88.22 18,896 thantikandhmun.gov.np
6 Bhairabi Rural 110.46 21,233 bhairabimun.gov.np
7 Mahabu Rural 110.8 19,277 mahabumun.gov.np
8 Naumule Rural 228.59 20,802 naumulemun.gov.np
9 Dungeshwar Rural 105.19 15,883 dungeshwormun.gov.np
10 Gurans Rural 164.79 22,033 guransmun.gov.np
11 Bhagawatimai Rural 151.52 18,778 bhagawatimaimun.gov.np
Dailekh District 1505 260,855 ddcdailekh.gov.np

Former VDCs and Municipalities edit

Gallery edit

See also edit

  • Zones of Nepal
  • "Districts of Nepal". Statoids.

References edit

  1. ^ General Bureau of Statistics, Kathmandu, Nepal, Nov. 2012
  2. ^ "Nepal Census 2001". Nepal's Village Development Committees. Digital Himalaya. Archived from the original on 12 October 2008. Retrieved 12 December 2008.
  3. ^ "National Population and Housing Census 2011(National Report)" (PDF). Central Bureau of Statistics. Government of Nepal. November 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-04-18.
  4. ^ a b "History - Bheri Samaj UK". Archived from the original on 2018-08-08. Retrieved 2018-08-08.
  5. ^ a b c "जिल्ला समन्वय समिति, दैलेख".
  6. ^ "Features: Show".
  7. ^ Surya Mani Adhikary (1997). The Khaśa kingdom: a trans-Himalayan empire of the middle age. Nirala. ISBN 978-81-85693-50-7.
  8. ^ Sinja valley - UNESCO World Heritage Centre
  9. ^ The Map of Potential Vegetation of Nepal - a forestry/agroecological/biodiversity classification system (PDF), . Forest & Landscape Development and Environment Series 2-2005 and CFC-TIS Document Series No.110., 2005, ISBN 87-7903-210-9, retrieved November 22, 2013
  10. ^ "NEPAL: Administrative Division". www.citypopulation.de.
  11. ^ NepalMap Language [1]
  12. ^ NepalMap Caste [2]
  13. ^ "NepalMap profile: dailekh". NepalMap. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  14. ^ NepalMap Religion [3]
  15. ^ NepalMap Literacy [4]

External links edit

28°50′15″N 81°42′28″E / 28.83750°N 81.70778°E / 28.83750; 81.70778