Dolpa District ( ne,
डोल्पा जिल्ला), is a district, located in
Karnali Province of
Nepal
Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is ma ...
, It is one of the seventy-seven
districts of Nepal
Districts in Nepal are second level of administrative divisions after provinces. Districts are subdivided in municipalities and rural municipalities. There are seven provinces and 77 districts in Nepal.
After the state's reconstruction of admi ...
and one of ten district of Karnali. The district, with
Dunai as its district headquarters, covers an area of and has a population (2011) of 36,700.
Dolpa is the largest district (by area) of Nepal.
Geography and climate
Dolpa is the largest district of Nepal covering 5.36% of the total landmass of the country, located at 28°43’N to 29°43’N latitude, and 82°23’E to 83°41’E longitude. Elevation ranges from . The district borders
Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...
on the north and northeast,
Jumla and
Mugu districts on the west,
Myagdi
Myagdi District ( ne, म्याग्दी जिल्ला ), a part of Gandaki Province, is one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal. The district, with Beni as its district headquarters, covers an area of , had a population of 114,447 ...
,
Jajarkot,
Western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
and
Eastern Rukum on the south, and
Mustang
The mustang is a free-roaming horse of the Western United States, descended from horses brought to the Americas by the Spanish. Mustangs are often referred to as wild horses, but because they are descended from once-domesticated animals, the ...
on the east.
A large portion of the district is protected by
Shey Phoksundo National Park
Shey Phoksundo National Park is the largest and only trans- Himalayan national park in Nepal. It was established in 1984 and covers an area of in the districts of Dolpa and Mugu in the Mid-Western Region, Nepal. The protected area ranges in e ...
. The name is derived from the 12th century Shey Monastery and the deepest lake in Nepal, the
Phoksundo Lake
Phoksundo Lake ( ne, फोक्सुण्डो, translit=Phoksuṇḍo, pronounced ) is an alpine fresh water oligotrophic lake in Nepal's Shey Phoksundo National Park, located at an elevation of in the Dolpa District. Phoksundo Lake is in ...
, both of which lie in the district. The park protects endangered animals like the snow leopard, musk deer and the Tibetan wolf. Shey Phoksundo is the largest and the only trans-Himalayan National Park in Nepal. It is the biggest area occupying district of Nepal.
The district distances an altitudinal range of over from a little over at Tribeni in Kalika VDC to meters at the peak of
Churen Himal. Kanjiroba (), Mukot () and Putha Hiunchuli () are other renowned peaks.
Physiographical the smaller ranges of the Great Himalayas comprise the southern border of the district. Between these and the border mountain ranges of Gautam Himal and Kanti Himal to the north, Dolpa district is a labyrinth of often wide glacial valleys and ridges.
Kanjiroba Himal and Kagmara Lekh running northwest to southeast separate the valleys of the Jagdula in the west from the rest of the district.
Demographics
At the time of the
2011 Nepal census
Nepal conducted a widespread national census in 2011 by the Nepal Central Bureau of Statistics. Working with the 58 municipalities and the 3915 Village Development Committees at a district level, they recorded data from all the municipalities and ...
, Dolpa District had a population of 36,700. The
Chhetri
Chhetri (Kshetri, Kshettri, Kshetry or Chhettri), ( ne, क्षेत्री ; IAST: ''Kṣetrī'') historically called Kshettriya or Kshetriya or Khas are Nepali speakers of Khas community, some of whom trace their origin to migration from ...
are the largest community making up 54.94% of the population. The second largest group are the
Magar with 9.50%. The Tibetan/Dolpo are 9.06%, 7.07% are
Kami
are the deities, divinities, spirits, phenomena or "holy powers", that are venerated in the Shinto religion. They can be elements of the landscape, forces of nature, or beings and the qualities that these beings express; they can also be the sp ...
, 7.09%
Gurung
Gurung (exonym; ) or Tamu (endonym; Gurung: ) are an ethnic group indigenous to the hills and mountains of Gandaki Province of Nepal. Gurung people predominantly live around the Annapurna region in Manang, Mustang, Dolpo, Kaski, Lamjung, Go ...
, 2.41%
Thakuri, 3.75%
Sarki, 1.72%
Hill Brahmin, 1.59%
Damai
Damai ( ne, दमाइँ) is an occupational caste found among Khas people. They comprise 45 subgroups. Their surnames take after the subgroup they belong to. People belonging to this caste are traditionally tailors and musicians. They are ade ...
and 1.20%
Tamang.
At the time of the 2011 census, 70.36% of the population spoke
Nepali
Nepali or Nepalese may refer to :
Concerning Nepal
* Anything of, from, or related to Nepal
* Nepali people, citizens of Nepal
* Nepali language, an Indo-Aryan language found in Nepal, the current official national language and a language spoken ...
, 6.63%
Gurung
Gurung (exonym; ) or Tamu (endonym; Gurung: ) are an ethnic group indigenous to the hills and mountains of Gandaki Province of Nepal. Gurung people predominantly live around the Annapurna region in Manang, Mustang, Dolpo, Kaski, Lamjung, Go ...
, 5.90%
Sherpa, 5.18%
Magar, 4.40% Tibetan/Dolpali, 3.80%
Bote
Bote may refer to
Places
*Bote Mountain in the United States
* Qafë Botë, a mountain pass through the Albanian mountains
People
*José Solano y Bote (1726–1806), Spanish naval officer
*David Bote, American baseball player
* Bote & Bock, a Ge ...
and 2.69%
Kham
Kham (; )
is one of the three traditional Tibetan regions, the others being Amdo in the northeast, and Ü-Tsang in central Tibet. The original residents of Kham are called Khampas (), and were governed locally by chieftains and monasteries. Kham ...
as their first language.
[2011 Nepal Census, Social Characteristics Tables](_blank)
/ref>
Most of the people are Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
/Masto Shamanism (92%) Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
(4%). 5.05% belong to the ancient Bonpo religion. Dolpa's major occupations are agriculture (79.5%) and service (2%).
Tourism
Dolpa region is a distant region of Nepal and the central point of this area is Shey Phoksundo National Park. The east and south of Dolpa are surrounded by the Dhaulagiri and Churen Himal ranges and to the west is the Jumla district. Trekking to Lower Dolpa offers you the remarkable and breathtaking experience of a lifetime. The notable features seen here are snowy peaks, ancient and remote villages, rich wildlife, lovely Buddhist monasteries and wonderful lakes. The people of this area are simple and warm-hearted with an enthralling culture and traditions. The cultural traditions of this area are basically linked with the Tibetan culture.
Trekking into Dolpa presents an exposure to the high and remote Himalayan valleys, resembling the Tibetan highlands. The main highlight of Dolpa trekking includes “Shey Phoksundo National Park” which is one of the major national parks of Nepal. “Shey Phoksundo Lake” is another famous feature of this region. The lake is totally free of aquatic life, which the crystal waters clearly demonstrate. Surrounded by rocks, forests, and snow-capped peaks, the area has been described as one of the world's “Natural Hidden Wonders”.
Transport
This district, despite being the largest in area in the nation, has only 1 vehicle as of November 2012, and no road links to other districts. Government is trying to link roadway to Dolpa, Dunai. The road is linked to Rukum
Rukum District ( ne, रुकुम जिल्ला) was a "hill" and "mountain" district some west of Kathmandu partially belonging to Lumbini Province and partially to Karnali Province before split into two districts Western Rukum and E ...
, Jajarkot districts. The road is long, of which road construction is completed and is planning to complete up to Asaar.
Administration
The district consists of 8 Municipalities
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...
, out of which two are urban municipalities and six are rural municipalities
A rural municipality is a classification of municipality, a type of local government, found in several countries.
These include:
* Rural municipalities in Canada, a type of municipal status in the Canadian provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, ...
. These are as follows:
* Thuli Bheri Municipality
* Tripurasundari Municipality
* Dolpo Buddha Rural Municipality
* She Phoksundo Rural Municipality
* Jagadulla Rural Municipality
* Mudkechula Rural Municipality
* Kaike Rural Municipality
* Chharka Tangsong Rural Municipality
Former village development committees
Prior to the restructuring of the district, Dolpa District consisted of the following municipalities and village development committees
A village development committee ( ne, गाउँ विकास समिति; ''gāum̐ vikās samiti'') in Nepal was the lower administrative part of its Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development. Each district had several VDCs ...
:
* Bhijer
* Chharka
Chharka is a village development committee in Dolpa District in the Karnali Zone of north-western Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 552 persons living in 101 individual households.
In the 2001 Nepal census it wa ...
* Dho
* Jufal
* Kaigaun
* Kalika
* Lhan
* Lawan
* Likhu
* Majhphal
Mazfal is a village development committee in Dolpa District in the Karnali Zone of north-western Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census
The 1991 Nepal census was a widespread national census conducted by the Nepal Central Bureau of Statist ...
* Mukot
Kakot is a village development committee in Dolpa District in the Karnali Zone of north-western Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census
The 1991 Nepal census was a widespread national census conducted by the Nepal Central Bureau of Statist ...
* Narku
* Pahada
* Phoksundo
Phoksundo is a village development committee located at the village of Ringmo in the Dolpa District in the Karnali Zone of north-western Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census
The 1991 Nepal census was a widespread national census conducte ...
* Raha
* Rimi Rimi may refer to:
* Rimi, Nepal, a village development committee
* Rimi, Nigeria, a Local Government Area of Katsina State
* Rimi (Norway), a Norwegian grocery store chain
* Rimi Baltic, a Baltic retail chain
* Rimi, another name for aurochs, an e ...
* Sahartara
Sahartara is a village development committee in Dolpa District in the Karnali Zone of north-western Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census
The 1991 Nepal census was a widespread national census conducted by the Nepal Central Bureau of Sta ...
* Saldang
Saldang is a village in Dolpa District in the Karnali Zone of north-western Nepal. Saldang lies at an altitude of in the Nankhang Valley, in the historic Tibetan region of Dolpo. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census, Saldang had a population of 1 ...
* Sarmie
* Shun
Shun may refer to one of the following:
*To shun, which means avoiding association with an individual or group
* Shun (given name), a masculine Japanese given name
*Seasonality in Japanese cuisine (''shun'', 旬)
Emperor Shun
* Emperor Shun (舜 ...
* Tinje
Tinje is a village development committee in Dolpa District in the Karnali Zone of north-western Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census
The 1991 Nepal census was a widespread national census conducted by the Nepal Central Bureau of Statisti ...
* Tripurakot
See also
* Dolpo
* List of highest towns by country
*Photo of Dolpa at http://www.bibekshresth.com.np/2020/08/dazzling-dolpa.html
References
External links
Dolpa trekking maps
{{Authority control
Districts of Nepal established in 1962
Districts of Karnali Province