Nawalpur Districtनवलपरासी (बर्दघाट सुस्ता पूर्व) जिल्ला
Gandaki's only Tarai district — Kawasoti, Gaindakot's Maula Kalika hill and the Narayani plain
Population (2021)
378,079
2011: 311,604 (+21.3% over the decade)
Area
1,433 km²
official statistical area (NSO)
Density
265/km²
persons per km², NPHC 2021
Annual growth 2011–21
+1.86%/yr
exponential growth rate, NSO
Headquarters
Kawasoti
कावासोती
Literacy · sex ratio
82.4%
literacy (5+, 2021) · 88.86 males per 100 females
Nawalpur on the map
The highlighted boundary is Nawalpur district within Gandaki Province. Headquarters: Kawasoti (pin location approximate).
About Nawalpur
Nawalpur — officially Nawalparasi (Bardaghat Susta East) — is the youngest district of Gandaki Province and its only reach into the Tarai plain, created in 2017 when the old Nawalparasi district was divided along the Bardaghat–Susta line under the 2015 constitution. Its 1,433 km² run from the Narayani river floodplain across the East–West Highway belt into the Mahabharat foothills, where the twin summits of Devchuli — the peak that names Devchuli Municipality — overlook the plain. The headquarters Kawasoti and the river city of Gaindakot, which faces Bharatpur directly across the Narayani, anchor one of Nepal's fastest-growing urban corridors.
The 2021 census counted 378,079 people, up from 311,604 in 2011 — at +1.86% a year the second-fastest growth in the province after Kaski, fed by migration down from the hills. The population mixes Tharu, Magar, Brahmin-Chhetri, Gurung and Newar communities; literacy is 82.4%. The economy combines commercial rice and vegetable farming on the plain, highway trade and services, and industry along the East–West corridor, while across the Narayani the buffer zone of Chitwan National Park extends into the district's riverside municipalities, whose community forests and wetlands support rhino- and bird-watching tourism on the north bank.
The district's best-known landmark is the Maula Kalika temple, set on a 561 m hilltop above Gaindakot with sweeping views over the Narayani and the Chitwan valley; long climbed by a stone stairway, it gained a 1.2 km cable car in May 2023, built for about Rs 1.5 billion, that has turned the shrine into one of central Nepal's busiest pilgrimage and day-trip destinations. At the district's western edge, the Tribeni confluence on the Narayani is a traditional bathing and fair site, and the inner-Tarai pocket around Madhyabindu links the plain to the old hill villages of Bulingtar and Hupsekot.
Local levels of Nawalpur
Nawalpur district is divided into 8 local levels — the municipalities and rural municipalities that have formed Nepal's third tier of government since the 2017 restructuring.
- Kawasoti Municipality
- Gaindakot Municipality
- Devchuli Municipality
- Madhyabindu Municipality
- Baudikali Rural Municipality
- Binayi Tribeni Rural Municipality
- Bulingtar Rural Municipality
- Hupsekot Rural Municipality
Nawalpur district — frequently asked questions
What is the population of Nawalpur district?+
Nawalpur district had a population of 378,079 in Nepal's 2021 census (National Population and Housing Census 2021), compared with 311,604 in the 2011 census.
How big is Nawalpur district?+
Nawalpur district covers an official statistical area of 1,433 km², with a population density of 265 persons per km² (2021 census).
What is the headquarters of Nawalpur district?+
The administrative headquarters of Nawalpur district is Kawasoti (कावासोती).
Which province is Nawalpur district in?+
Nawalpur is one of the districts of Gandaki Province, one of Nepal's seven provinces.
How many local levels does Nawalpur district have?+
Nawalpur district is divided into 8 local levels — the municipalities and rural municipalities that make up Nepal's third tier of government.
Sources & data note
All population, household, density, sex-ratio and growth figures are from the National Population and Housing Census 2021 (NSO National Report, Table 15; census reference date 25 November 2021), with 2011 comparisons from the 2011 census recalculated to current boundaries for the four districts split in 2017. Areas are the official statistical areas used by NSO/CBS — the 77 districts sum to exactly 147,181 km² — not GIS polygon areas; where Wikipedia's list page prints conflicting areas for the four split districts (Nawalpur, Nawalparasi West, Rukum East, Rukum West), the NSO-consistent figures are used. Literacy rates are computed from NSO Table 24 raw counts (population aged 5+ who can read and write); the computed national aggregate, 76.25%, matches NSO's published 76.2%. Headquarters coordinates are approximate map-pin locations (±2–5 km), not surveyed points.
- National Population and Housing Census 2021 — NSO Microdata catalog (National Report)National Statistics Office (NSO), Government of Nepal ↗
- Nepal: Municipalities — all local levels by districtcitypopulation.de (reproducing NSO/CBS data) ↗
- Nawalpur DistrictWikipedia ↗
- Maula Kali cable car comes into operation in GaindakotThe Kathmandu Post ↗
- Gaindakot Municipality — official siteGaindakot Municipality, Government of Nepal ↗