Dhading District

Dhading District, a part of Bagmati Zone, is one of the seventy-five districts of Nepal, a landlocked country of South Asia. The district, with Dhading Besi as its district headquarters, covers an area of 1,926km² and has a population (2001) of 338,658. The mountain range "Ganesh" is the predominate mountain range located within Dhading. All of the peaks are over 7,000 meters with some approaching 8,000. The 8,000+ meter mountain "Manaslu" is clearly visible from much of Dhading, although it is located within the bounds of Gorkha. The transnational "King Prithivi Highway" connecting Kathmandu and Pokhara runs through the southern portion of the district making for easy access too the Kathmandu valley. The road parallels the "Trishuli" River.

Dhading is 80% farmland and 20% forest; unfortunately most of the protected forest is located near or next to the road which doesn't make for great trekking. But, the western border with Gorkha is bisected by the "Buri Gandaki" river and this river valley is a great entrance to the Himals of Gorkha (with views of the Ganesh range), not to mention one of the prettier rivers of Nepal. The towns of Salantar and Arun Ghat should get you pointed in the right direction.

The people of the district are primarily Bhramin and Chetri in the south and Tamang and Gurung in the north, with much of the center Newari. The famous King Prithivi Naryan Shah/Gurkha route crosses through Dhading.


Ram Kumar Shrestha
December 2008