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

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.

Getting there

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.

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.

Bhurti. The Bhurti complex is a collection of 22 temple monuments built in dry stone masonry, a style unique to the region¹. 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.

Mahabu. A 1-hour walk from Bhanjyang leads to the main temple of Mahabu, at 4,100 m³. 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.

Where to stay

Moderate inns and homestays are available in Dailekh¹. On the highway from Surkhet, Guranse has standard hotels³. The Panchakoshi temple areas have no food or accommodation³.

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.