Salyan: Khalanga, Kupinde Lake and the roads from Nepalgunj

Khalanga, the district headquarters, sits at the top of a spur road that climbs from the Rapti Highway^6,4. Salyan has not been explored to its fullest, because of its hard terrain⁴. This page covers the whole district; other districts are in the districts hub, and the nearby regional capital is under Surkhet.

Where it is

Salyan is one of Nepal’s seventy-seven districts, in Karnali Province¹. Rolpa lies to its east, with Surkhet and Bardiya to the west². The district covers 1,462 km2¹. Its altitude runs from 300 m in the Babai River basin to 2,000 m in the highlands²; a hilltop north of Salyan, at 2,537 m, is given as its highest point². The district is called hilly, yet its south-west reaches the lower Siwalik Hills, an extension of the Terai¹. The Babai River flows through that south-western section after draining Dang Valley¹. The Bheri drains the western half of the hill region, and the Sharad Khola drains the eastern half, including the district centre¹. The Sarda river cuts through the lower part of the district and keeps the land fertile³.

The name comes from the Nepali word sallo, pine tree or conifer¹. Salyan was one of the Baise Rajya, a confederation of 22 petty kingdoms in the Karnali region, annexed by the Shah dynasty around 1760 during the unification of Nepal¹.

Khalanga is the administrative centre, and today it is part of Shaarada Municipality^1,6. The District Coordination Committee lists three municipalities, Bagchaur, Banagad Kupinde and Sharada⁸. Its rural municipalities are Kapurkot, Kalimati, Kumakh, Chhatreshwari, Siddha Kumakh, Triveni and Darma⁸. Nearby bazaars include Chande, Kapurkot, Darma, Mokhala and Kalimati⁴.

Getting there

By air

Salyan has no airport, and the closest is Tulsipur Airport⁴. Nepalgunj is reached by a domestic flight from Kathmandu². Nepalgunj is highly accessible by road and air from most parts of the country³. See Nepalgunj for the gateway city.

By road

Hop Nepal puts Salyan 518 km west of Kathmandu and says there is no direct bus, so you change vehicles on the way². Nepal Traveller gives 500 km and lists buses and minibuses to Salyan from Dang, Kathmandu and Nepalgunj⁴. The two sources disagree on both points.

A spur road from the Rapti Highway leads to the district headquarters⁴. Salyan lies 235 km north-east of Nepalgunj, and Kapurkot, the gateway to the district, is also reachable by the Rapti highway from Dang’s Tulsipur³. For long-distance bus detail see buses and jeeps.

When to go

June to August are the finest months for visiting Salyan². The district’s average temperature ranges from 3.9 to 28.2 degrees Celsius². Devotees visit the Barahdev shrine by Kupinde Lake twice a year, in February and April³. The Bhawani Bhuwaneswari temple hosts thousands of devotees twice every year³.

Locals say Kupinde Lake changes its hue three times a year³. Greenery of all hues surrounds the villages and hills³.

What to see

Kupinde Lake lies around 24 km west of Khalanga³. Hills surround it on all sides, and it has stayed free from tampering³. It is one of the most beautiful lakes in the Rapti Zone².

Chattreswori Devi Temple lies 19 km from Khalanga³. It is the only Shaktipith in Nepal where animals are not sacrificed³. The temple complex spreads over more than 50 ropanis of land³. A massive fossil north of the temple is believed to hold the remains of Satidevi³. In local tale, Lord Shiva laid the body of Satidevi at this temple².

The Kumakh hilltop is a walk of around 2 hours and gives views of Dhaulagiri, Sisne, Chakhure and other peaks². The Bhawani Bhuwaneswari temple can be reached from Khalanga by road³.

Muplani Botanical Garden was founded in 1990 and covered 5.5 hectares². It protects more than 30 orchid species².

Salyan is famous across Nepal for its oranges and ginger³. It also produces Sirupate khukuri knives².

Population and people

The 2021 census counted 238,515 people in Salyan, the third most populous district of Karnali Province⁵. The Central Bureau of Statistics report gives that figure; Wikipedia has the same number^5,1.

For 2011, the Central Bureau of Statistics national report gives 242,444 people over 1,462 km2, at 166 people per km2⁷. Wikipedia gives 241,716 for the same census and 213,500 for 2001¹. The CBS figure is the one to use for 2011.

Khas people make up 84% of the population, Chhetris 59% and Magars 15%¹. In 2021, 98.26% spoke Nepali as their first language¹; the 2011 share was 99.4%¹. Literacy stands at 77.30%¹. In total, 42.61% of residents live in municipalities¹, and 9.68% are under 5 years of age¹.

Permits and park fees

One national rule covers every protected area in Nepal.

A park entry permit must be obtained to enter protected areas of Nepal, and entrance fees must be paid⁹.

The Nepal Tourism Board’s park entry-fee page states that rule⁹. Fees by park are in national park fees.

Where to stay

Food and accommodation are hard to come by in the district, so make Khalanga your base³. As the headquarters, it has most of the facilities, such as schools, health services and police⁴. Backpackers should stock up on toiletries and clean clothes before heading out³.