Pyuthan District
Pyuthan District(प्युठान जिल्ला, is a "hill" district some west of Kathmandu in Province No. 5 in midwestern Nepal. Pyuthan covers an area of with population of 212,484 in 2001 and 226,796 in 2011. Pyuthan Khalanga is the district's administrative center.
Geography and Climate
Pyuthan borders Dang Deukhuri District to the southwest along the crest of the Mahabharat Range and extends about northeast through the Middle Hills to a 3,000+ meter ridge that is both Pyuthan's border with Baglung district of Dhaulagiri Zone and the main watershed between the Rapti and Gandaki River basins. Pyuthan borders Rolpa district to the west. Of the two upper tributaries of the West Rapti River, Pyuthan contains all of Jhimruk Khola and the lower part of Madi Khola after it exits Rolpa. The Madi-Jhimruk confluence is in southern Pyuthan, in the Mahabharat Range. On the southeast Pyuthan borders Lumbini Zone including Arghakhanchi and Gulmi districts.The valley of Jhimruk Khola is the core of Pyuthan district. Its alluvial plain is intensively planted in rice during the summer monsoon. Wheat is grown as the winter crop. Madi Khola has eroded an inner gorge and is less suited to traditional irrigated agriculture.
| Climate Zone | Elevation Range | % of Area |
| Upper Tropical | 300 to 1,000 meters 1,000 to 3,300 ft. | 36.1% |
| Subtropical | 1,000 to 2,000 meters 3,300 to 6,600 ft. | 53.3% |
| Temperate | 2,000 to 3,000 meters 6,400 to 9,800 ft. | 9.7% |
| Subalpine | 3,000 to 4,000 meters 9,800 to 13,100 ft. | 0.8% |
Castes and Occupations
Bahun and Chhetri महतरा क्षेत्री farmers cultivate irrigated fields along the Jhimruk and unirrigated fields partway up the hillsides. They are served by Newar merchants and service castes such as Damai, Gaine, Kami, Kumal, Sarki and Sunar. Highlands around the valley are mostly inhabited by Magars, including Kham Magars at higher elevations. The district center Pyuthan Khalanga is situated on a hillside east of the Jhimruk, some 500 meters above it.Demographics
At the time of the 2011 Nepal census, Pyuthan District had a population of 228,102. Of these, 96.1% spoke Nepali, 2.3% Magar and 0.7% Newari as their first language.Population by Census 1971-2011
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Climate
The valleys have a subtropical climate with temperatures reaching 40 Celsius in May and falling to single digits in winter. There is a little too much winter chill for bananas and papayas. At about 800m elevation, the Jhimruk Valley approaches the upper limit for mangoes, however Madi Khola is lower. Citrus, Asian pear and mulberries are grown as cash crops in surrounding hills. Maize is grown on sloping un-irrigated bari fields up to about 2,000m. Snow occasionally falls on adjacent peaks reaching 2,400m but seldom lasts more than a day or two.Infrastructure
History
Pyuthan was one of 24 small kingdoms in the Chaubisi Rajya confederation before Prithvi Narayan Shah unified modern Nepal in the second half of the 18th century. Since Dang Deukhuri District to the south and Salyan District to the west belonged to another confederation called Baise Rajya, Pyuthan was a western outpost of the Chaubisi and probably a defense perimeter defended by forts, for example at Okharkot.Pyuthan is home district of Dr. Yadav Pandit a research scholar working in the field of Experimental Nuclear Physics. Dr. Pandit is an expert in measurements of anisotropy, studying fluid-like behavior and phase transitions in the dense and highly excited matter created in heavy ion collisions.
Pyuthan is also the home district of Mohan Bikram Singh, a founder of the Communist Party of Nepal. Singh's organizational work in Pyuthan and other districts of Rapti Zone laid the basis for the area becoming the so-called "heartland" of the Maoist insurgency 1996–2006 that cost over 12,000 lives but was instrumental in transforming the country from a kingdom ruled by the Shah dynasty into a republic. Other prominent communist leaders from Pyuthan include Mohan Baidhya, Lila Mani Pokhrel, Bamdev Gautam and Navraj Subedi.
Pyuthan is also the home district of Anirudra Sharma, Sibraj Subedi, Mukti Prasad Sharma of Nepali Congress Party and Khem Raj Pandit of the conservative and royalist Rastriya Prajatantra Party.
V.D.C.s (and other towns in parentheses)
- Arkha
- , Bandikot, Bangemarkot, Bangesal, Baraula, Barjibang, Belbas, Bhingri, Bijaya Nagar, Bijuli, Bijuwar
- Chunja
- Dakha Kwadi, Damri, Dangbang, Dharampani, Dharmawati, Dhobaghat, Dhubang, Dhungegadhi
- Gothibang
- Hansapur
- Jumrikanda
- Khabang, Khaira, Pyuthan Municipality, Khung, Kochibang,
- Libang, Ligha, Lung
- Majhakot, Maranthana, Markabang
- Narikot, Naya Gaun
- Okharkot
- Pakala, Phopli, Puja
- Rajbara, Ramdi, Raspurkot,
- , Sari, Swargadwarikhal, Syaulibang
- , Tiram, Torbang, Tusara
- Pandeydada khalanga
Historic and Cultural Sites
- Airabati, Asurkot
- Bandhikot, Bhagawati Temple, Bhawaniswari Temple, Bhimsensthan, Bhimsen Temple, Bhimsen Temple, Bhimsen Temple, Bhitrikot Cave, Bhitrikot Durbar, Bhringri Kot, Bhumesthan, Bijulikot, Birdisthan
- Chhetrapal Temple
- Devi Bhagawati, Devi Bhagawati Temple, Devi Temple, Dhunge Gadhi, Dubanasthan
- Ganesh Temple, Ganeshsthan, Gaumukhi, Gorakhnath Temple, Gorakhnath Temple, Gorakhnath Temple
- Jalpadevi Temple,, Jalpadevi Temple, Jhankristhan
- Kalidevi Temple, Kali Temple, Kalika Malika, Khadga Devata Temple, Khalanga Shivalaya, Khungrikot
- Laxmi Narayan Temple
- Masta Mandau, Mehelnath Temple
- Okharkot
- Phalaharisthan, Pyuthan Magazine
- Radha Krishna Temple, Rameswar Temple, Rani Pauwa
- Saraswati Temple, Sarikot, Shiva Temple,Shiva Temple, Shiva Temple, Shiva Temple, Shivalaya, Siddha Devatasthan, Siddha Sansarsthan
- Swargadwari—a hilltop temple complex and pilgrimage site celebrating the importance of cows in Hinduism—is located in the southern part of Pyuthan.
- Tatopani Shivalaya, Tripurasundari, Tusharakot Isnasthan
- Udayapur Kot
- Pandeydada khalanga Shree Satyadevi Bhagwati Mandir, 12-bhai Baraha Dev Mandir
Maps
- Besides the United Nations/Nepal map of districts and VDCs shown above, their Map Centre has a downloadable PDF version adding municipalities, roads and water detail:
- From 1992 to 2002 a definitive series of large scale topographic maps were surveyed and published through a joint project by Government of Nepal Survey Department and Finland's Ministry for Foreign Affairs contracting through the FinnMap consulting firm. Japan International Cooperation Agency substituted for FinnMap in Lumbini Zone.
- 2782 3B "Hasipur"
- 2782 4A "Bangesal"
- 2782 4B "Amili"
- 2783 1A "Dhanchaur"
- 2882 12C "Gam"
- 2882 12D "Shauliban"
- 2882 15A "Holeri"
- 2882 15B "Khungrichaur"
- 2882 15C "Bach Pokhara"
- 2882 15D "Swargadwari"
- 2882 16A "Sirpa"
- 2882 16B "Machchhi"
- 2882 16C "Bijuwar"
- 2882 16D "Pyuthan Khalanga"
- 2883 09C "Rajawara"
- 2883 13A "Purkot Daha"
- 2883 13C "Bamruk"