Dailekh: Panchakoshi, Dullu and the road from Surkhet

Dailekh is a hilly district of Karnali Province with the Pancha Koshi shrines, the Bhurti stone temple complex and Dullu, the winter capital of the ancient Sinja rulers^1,3. This page covers the district; the neighbouring ones are in the districts hub, and the road north has a page of its own at Karnali Highway.

Where it is

The name Dailekh is supposed to derive from Dadhi Lekh: Dadhichi was an ancient sage and lekh means hill, so the name refers to the mountain where he meditated⁸. A second tale makes it a former abode of the Devatas, called Daibalok and later changed to Dailekh⁸.

Dailekh is a hilly district in Karnali Province, in mid-western Nepal¹. Dailekh is its district headquarters, and the district covers 1,502 km2². It had 225,201 people in 2001 and 252,313 at the 2021 census². The lowest elevation is 544 m and the highest 4,168 m².

Gandaki, Karnali and Bhairavi are the major rivers that flow through the district¹. Many precious medicinal herbs grow here in abundance, alongside forests filled with rhododendron trees¹.

Dailekh was part of the Khasa kingdom during the 12th to 14th century, and its principality was one of the 22 Baise principalities². The archaeological remains and inscriptions found in the district reveal its connection with the ancient Khasa (Malla) kingdom¹.

How to reach Dailekh

The nearest airport is at Surkhet, and a bus from Surkhet reaches Dailekh in about five and a half hours¹. The distance is given differently by three sources: the Nepal Tourism Board gives 130.2 km¹, Buddha Air 65 km³ and Wikipedia about 70 km². This page uses the Nepal Tourism Board’s figure. Flights from Kathmandu to Surkhet take around 70 minutes³; see Surkhet for the airport and town.

By road, Dailekh road (F-48) connects Dailekh with Birendranagar, the capital of Karnali Province². Another road links Dailekh to the Karnali Highway via Dullu². Kathmandu is 647.41 km from Dailekh by road²; Buddha Air gives 650 km³.

Guranse Bazaar, 20 km west of Surkhet, is a common stop for travellers heading from Surkhet towards Rara³. It has standard hotels on both sides of the highway³, and its cool climate draws visitors from Surkhet and Nepalgunj in summer³.

Restricted-area trekking in Nepal needs a permit from the Department of Immigration in Kathmandu, as set out on the Nepal Tourism Board permit page⁷.

What to see

Pancha Koshi

The popular Pancha Koshi pilgrimage site is one of the Shakti Peeth shrines¹. Shristhan, Navisthan, Paduka and Dharaleshwar fall under it¹. A road system links all of the Panchakoshi temples, and jeeps and motorcycles make it possible to see them in a single day³. There are general shops around the temple areas, but food and accommodation are not available³.

Hop Nepal lists paragliding, rafting on the Karnali River, hill climbing and rock climbing among the district’s main attractions⁸. According to Buddha Air’s July 2023 blog, two of the Pancha Koshi temples have natural gas flames burning from underground, three at Shristan and two at Navisthan³. Buddha Air names the five pilgrimages as Shirasthan, Navisthan, Padukasthan, Dhuleshwar and Kotilasthan³.

Bhurti

The Bhurti complex is a collection of 22 temple monuments built in dry stone masonry, a style unique to the region, according to the Nepal Tourism Board¹. The complex lies three kilometres north of Narayan, the district headquarters⁶. Its 22 shikhara temples were built between the 13th and 15th centuries⁶. Researchers at Heidelberg University’s South Asia Institute read the temples as memorials rather than as tied to one religion⁶. The complex entered UNESCO’s World Heritage Tentative List in 2008⁶. It is part of Nepal’s tentative UNESCO World Heritage list¹. The 22 stone columns are clustered together and carved with artistic detail³.

Dullu

Ancient Sinja rulers established their summer capital in the Sinja Valley and their winter capital in Dullu, Dailekh³. The fortress of the once-famous Dullu Durbar stands in the heart of Dullu market, and the Dhuleshwar temple and the Jain Tirthankara Mahabir of Paduka temple are both from the 18th century, according to Hop Nepal⁸. Hop Nepal links the site to castle ruins, stone sculptures, pillars and Nepal’s earliest writing⁸.

Naumule

Naumule is home to the Dolti hydroelectric powerhouse⁸.

Mahabu

A 1-hour walk from Bhanjyang leads to the main temple of Mahabu, at 4,100 m³. The same post said a jeep could reach Bhanjyang from Dailekh, with nowhere to eat or sleep there³. On a clear day the hilltop looks out to Kanjirowa and Apishaipal³. Hop Nepal adds that paragliding runs from Mahabu to Gitachaur, and lists the Chamgaat River, Musekhola Waterfall, Taulekhar Cave and Shivalaya Temple among other sights⁸. On Buddha Air’s account the rhododendrons on the hill turn scarlet in March, and in the monsoon ground flowers bloom while fog covers the hill³. In July 2023 a Buddha Air blog reported that the 44 km road between Dailekh Bazar and Mahabu Bhanjyang was open for visitors, and that the 88 km route from Dailekh to Nagma, towards Kalikot and Jumla, was under construction³.

Chamunda and Bindrasaini

Chamunda is surrounded by forests, hills and farmland, and Hop Nepal lists the Chamundadevi, Bhairav, Purnamala and Debathi temples among its historic monuments, with Jal Cave a popular stop⁸. On Hop Nepal’s list, Guranshe is known for pure air in summer and snow in winter, with a rhododendron forest and a viewpoint⁸. Of Bindrasaini, Hop Nepal singles out the Dholak dance performed by local people, and a temple, waterfall and rivers on the way⁸.

Where to stay

Moderate inns and homestays are available in Dailekh¹. On the highway from Surkhet, Buddha Air’s July 2023 blog listed standard hotels at Guranse³. The Panchakoshi temple areas have no food or accommodation³. Guranse is 20 km west of Surkhet and takes its name from the nearby Laliguras forest³. On a clear day Kanjirowa and Apishaipal are visible from it, and the Karnali government funded a viewing tower there³. Travellers going towards Rara from Surkhet make a pit stop there³. Its climate is cool, and young people from Surkhet and Nepalgunj come in summer³.

Dated road reports and safety

The Karnali Highway passes through Dailekh.

In July 2026 police identified the stretch between Dahikhola in Dailekh and Galjebazaar in Kalikot as the most dangerous section of the highway⁵. The highest-risk locations include Dahikhola and Kitubhir in Dailekh⁵. In the week before the July 2026 report, a passenger minibus from Surkhet to Raskot plunged into the Karnali river at Sangetada in Dailekh⁵.

For the section beyond Dailekh, see Kalikot and, for the rains, monsoon road closures.