Kavrepalanchok District

Demographics

At the time of the 2021 Nepal census, Kavrepalanchok District had a population of 364,039. 6.76% of the population is under 5 years of age. It has a literacy rate of 75.68% and a sex ratio of 1035 females per 1000 males. 244,982 (67.30%) lived in municipalities.

Ethnicity wise: Hill Janjatis were the largest group, making up 43% of the population. Tamangs were the largest Hill Janjatis, making up 34% of the population and Magars 4% of the population. Khas are the second largest group, making up 43% of the population. Newars were the third largest group, making up 13% of the population.

At the time of the 2021 census, 50.39% of the population spoke Nepali, 33.15% Tamang, 10.91% Nepal Bhasha, 1.62% Magar and 1.40% Danuwar as their first language. In 2011, 50.5% of the population spoke Nepali as their first language.

Administration

The district consists of 13 municipalities, out of which six are urban and seven rural municipalities. These are as follows:

Healthcare

The small health centers in many village development committees(VDCs) are without auxiliary health workers, Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs), and community health workers. As a consequence, people seeking emergency health assistance are forced to travel long distances to the district headquarters or Kathmandu, and may even end up dying without access to treatment. Many individuals still believe in Jhakri (shamans and diviners) and are reluctant to seek medical help.

PHASE Nepal, an NGO, provides many health care facilities and training programs to Rayale, a VDC of the Kavrepalanchok district. Currently, PHASE Nepal works on several projects in this district including community health and education, teacher training programmes, and hygiene and sanitation programmes.

Tourism

Kavrepalanchok district has great potential in the tourism industry. It is culturally rich with historical places like Dhulikhel, Sangaswoti-Bangthali, Panauti, Banepa and Chandeni Mandan. Chandeni Mandan contains the lowest and highest points of the district, the Indravati River and Thamdanda, respectively; the latter offers hiking and panoramic views of the Himalayas. There are big religious fairs like the Chandeshwori Jatra of Banepa, the Namobuddha Jatra of Namobuddha, celebrated on the birth date of Buddha (Buddha Purnima), and the Kumbha Mela of Panauti, which occurs every twelve years.

The Long Himalayan Gaurishankar range can be seen from Dhulikhel and the Sangaswoti Range. Kavrepalanchok is famous for short trekking routes such as Dhungkharka-Narayanthan and Dhulikhel-Kavre-Namobuddha-Sankhu-Panauti-Banepa. Other places of interest include Saping Siddhi Ganesh Temple, Saping Mulkharka Bhimsenthan, Palanchok Bhagwati, Namobuddha, Dhulikhel, Gaukhureshwar, Hajar Sidhi (1000 Steps to Kali Devi Temple), Devisthan, Thulo Bangthali, Talu Dada View Tower, Gosainthan, Banepa, Khopasi, Pasthali, Balthali, Ladkeshwar Mahadev, Nepalthok, Patlekhet, Phulbari, Dapcha and many more.

The Kailashnath Mahadev Statue at Sanga is another major religious and tourist attraction in the district. The approximately 143-foot (43.5 m) statue of Shiva is one of the prominent landmarks of the Kathmandu Valley and attracts pilgrims and visitors throughout the year.

Fortune Resort & Wellness Spa Bhaktapur is a hospitality and wellness destination in the Sanga area, near the Kailashnath Mahadev Statue. The resort provides accommodation, dining, wellness and recreational facilities and contributes to the growing tourism infrastructure of the Sanga area.

Koshipari (i.e. east of Dolalghat/Sunkoshi River) has very good prospect in tourism field. There are many adventurous places such as Thulo Bangthali. Recently a new trail known as Sangaswoti Range Hills Trail has been opened for hikers. Though the road network is still under development and a good paved road is lacking, Koshipari can certainly be used as a cycling spot. Once the road network is improved, the area has potential to develop into additional tourism destinations. There are already homestays and lodges in Thulo Bangthali. Many travellers choose the Laure-Bangthali trail to reach Shailung and Everest. The wild native forest in the Bangthali area is rich in biodiversity. More than 700 different kinds of herbs are found in this jungle. The area has also become known for bird watching and volunteering.

Religious places in Kavrepalanchok

Mulkharka Bhimsenthan (Saping),

Saping Siddhi Ganesh Temple, (Ramche)

Khandadevi (Nagregagarche)

Kuseshwor Mahadev (Nepalthok)

Dhaneshwor Mahadev (Banepa),

Chandeshwori Mata (Banepa),

Bikateswor Mahadev (Banepa),

Indrashwor Mahadev (Panauti),

ugrachandi Bhagawati (Nala),

lokeswor karunamaya nala

Dankali Devi (Eklekhet),

Timal Narayan dham (Timal),

Palanchok Bhagawati Temple,

Kedhreshwor Mahadev,

Khopasi,

Fadkeshwor Mahadev,

Ladku Ladkeshwor Mahadev.

Namo Buddha Monastery

Education

There are many private and governmental schools providing education to the secondary level within the district.

Kathmandu University, located in Dhulikhel is the third-oldest university in Nepal.