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Dang District is located in Lumbini Province's Inner Terai, which is a region of midwestern Nepal. The Deukhuri Valley, which serves as the provincial capital, is the second-largest valley in Asia and is encircled by the Shivalik Hills and the Mahabharata Range. The district center, Ghorahi, is the largest sub-metropolitan city in Nepal and is ranked as the seventh largest city overall. Due to its good air and road connectivity, Tulsipur, the second-largest city in the district, is an important center for transportation. As of the 2021 census, Dang District encompasses 2,955 km².
Since the 20th century, Dang has been a major site for archeological investigation, producing important finds of early human and animal fossils. It is widely regarded as the hub of Sanskrit language studies in Nepal and is home to the country's only Sanskrit university, the Nepal Sanskrit University, which is also the second-oldest institution in the country. The Rapti Academy of Health Sciences (RAHS), a state-owned medical school headed by Nepal's prime minister, is also located in the district. Dang Deukhuri is one of the most culturally significant places of Nepal because of its rich cultural heritage, which includes several temples and gumbas associated with the stories of the Mahābhārata, Shaivism, Shaktism, and Gorakhnath.
History
With a history spanning over 1,300 years, the Dang Valley has long been recognized as a key pilgrimage site and refuge for disciples of the Nath sect, followers of the Hindu yogi and mahasiddha Gorakhnath, and his guru, Matsyendranath. The Goraksha, or Ratna Nath temple in the district, is believed to have been built by King Ratnaparikshak, who became a disciple of Gorakhnath and was renamed Ratna Nath after receiving initiation in a nearby forest.
Historical evidence indicates that during the existence of the Khasa Kingdom in western Nepal, Dang was effectively under their political control. A document from Punya Malla records that the valley was granted as a birta (a tax-free land grant) to Jayakar Pundit in 1336 AD. From 1350 AD onward, Meghraj Singh Chauhan of the Chauhan dynasty is noted as the king of the region, as per records in Yogi Ratna Nath's Chaughera monastery in Dang Valley, making him the third in line of Yogi Gorakhnath's lineage. The temple held significant spiritual influence over the valley's rulers, and its internal activities remained largely unaffected by changes in power for centuries.
The Nevills Gazetteer of Bahraich (1922:124) mentions that in 1485 AD, the region of Dangdun was under the control of Udat Singh. The last independent king of Dang, Nawal Singh Chauhan, ruled from Chaughera in Dang until 1760 AD, when the House of Tulsipur governed one of the largest Taluqs of Oudh, India, including the Dang and Deukhuri Valleys. The town shares its name with another Tulsipur in Dang Deukhuri District, Nepal, about 65 kilometers to the north, both historically linked by having the same ruler.
In 1760 AD, Gorkhali King Prithvi Narayan Shah annexed the valley into the expanding Gorkha Kingdom. Three years later, in 1763 AD, Dang (excluding Tulsipur lands south of the Siwalik Hills) was given as a dowry to the King of Salyan for the marriage of King Prithvi Narayan Shah's daughter. Around 1808 AD, Dang Valley was finally incorporated into the Kingdom of Nepal when the state of Salyan merged with the unified Nepal under the Shah dynasty.
Due to its higher elevation, hotter climate, and better drainage, making it less prone to malaria than most Inner Terai valleys in Nepal, Dang attracted settlement from Shah and Rana courtiers, along with other Nepalese. In contrast, Deukhuri remained predominantly a Tharu enclave until the 1950s, when DDT was introduced to control the disease-bearing Anopheles mosquito. Before the construction of the Rapti Bridge, Koilabas in Dang Valley served as a major trading post with India, though it was gradually abandoned. Today, remnants of Persian Mughal Empire-style architecture can still be seen in the ruins of Koilabas. Long ago, Dang was also the capital of the Rapti Zone.
Tharus
The Dang Valley has long been recognized as a historic home to the indigenous Tharu people, although the exact timeline of their origin remains a subject of ongoing archaeological study. Researchers believe that the valley was once a thriving center of Tharu civilization. Today, the Tharu community is one of Nepal's most prominent indigenous ethnic groups, with the Tharus of Dang Valley, known as the Dangaura Tharus, preserving their rich and unique cultural traditions.
Demography
The Dang Valley, higher in elevation, less tropical, drier, and less malarial than Deukhuri, attracted settlers from outside even before the introduction of DDT, despite its poorer soil and more seasonal water flow. The region has a significant population of Tharu people, and since the early 1990s, activists have worked to eliminate the practice of child indentured servitude among the Tharu, who often sold young daughters to wealthy urban families. The steep, nearly uninhabited southern slopes of the Mahabharat Range serve as another cultural boundary between traditional Tharu lands and the culturally distinct Middle Hills, where Nepali is the dominant language and the homeland of the Dangi Chhetris. The Kumal ethnic group, known for their pottery, is also semi-indigenous to the area.
This district encompasses the larger, upstream sections of the parallel Inner Terai valleys of Dang and Deukhuri, as well as the surrounding hills and mountains. Further downstream, both valleys extend into Banke District. The Dudhwa Range rises sharply to a crest at around 700 meters, then gently slopes down into the Deukhuri Valley, which sits at an elevation of about 250 meters near the Rapti River. The Dudhwa Range stretches over 100 kilometers, causing the Rapti to veer west before turning southeast into the plains of India. Deukhuri's climate is almost tropical, with ample water from the river and abundant groundwater. North of Deukhuri, the Dang Range rises to heights of up to 1,000 meters, with passes around 700 meters. The Dang Valley, located north of these hills, is drained by the Babai River, a tributary of the Ghaghara (Karnali) River. Valley elevations range from 600 meters along the Babai to 700 meters at the base of the Mahabharat Range. The district extends upward to the crest of the Mahabharat Range, reaching elevations between 1,500 and 1,700 meters. The neighboring districts to the north include Pyuthan, Rolpa, and Salyan. The Rapti River, a significant waterway in Western Nepal, flows through much of the lower Dang Valley, passing beneath the Churia Range and then emerging on the southern side. The district is also home to Nepal's second-longest bridge, which spans the Rapti River, connecting Sisahaniya in Rapti Rural Municipality with Mahadeva in Gadawa Rural Municipality
Cultural Sites
Ambikeshwari Temple is a significant Hindu spiritual site located in the Dang district. Also referred to as ‘Maiko Than’ (Mother's Place), the temple is located 3.5 kilometers north of Ghorahi, along the banks of the Katuwa Khola. This temple is considered a Shaktipeetha, believed to have formed from the fall of Satidevi’s right ear, as narrated in the Swasthani Purana of Hinduism. It is the most renowned Shaktipeeth in the Dang Valley.
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Ratna Nath (Gorakhnath) Mandir in Chaughera, part of Ghorahi sub-metropolitan city, is a major spiritual and tourist destination in the Dang District. The temple is named after Yogi Ratna Nath, the third in line after Yogi Gorakhnath. It has held deep spiritual significance for the rulers of the valley for centuries, with its activities remaining largely unchanged despite shifts in dynastic power.
According to legend, the temple's origin is linked to the valley's rulers. The story tells of a king who, while hunting, shot a beautiful deer in the jungle. The wounded deer led the king deep into the forest, where he encountered a radiant ascetic in deep meditation, with an arrow before him. Realizing his mistake, the king sought forgiveness. The ascetic, Yogi Ratnanath, forgave him and blessed him with the power to rule Dang Valley, instructing the king to worship the arrow for continued reign. The king's lineage continued this worship, with the arrow being venerated by both the king and the yogis, who shared the kingdom’s revenue for six months each.
Dharapani Temple is located in Dharna municipality-01, at the base of the Chure range, south of the Babai River, about 9 kilometers from the center of Ghorahi. This temple is believed to mark the ancient site where the five Pandava brothers prayed to Shiva during their journey to Uttarapantha (the Himalayas). The temple houses the world’s largest Trishula and has become a prominent tourist destination in the valley. It has attracted visits from Hindu devotees and notable figures, including Nepal’s President and other high-ranking officials.
Barhakune Daha (also known as Baraha Chhetra) is situated 3 kilometers north of Ghorahi sub-metropolitan city. This area is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu and is a popular worship site during the Makar Sankranti festival. The site’s name is derived from a nearby pond with twelve corners, or "bara" in Nepali.
Chameri Cave, located on the slopes of the Mahabharat range, is also known locally as "Siddha" cave. It is believed to have been used by saints for meditation and holds significant archaeological interest due to the possibility of prehistoric human habitation. The cave is four stories tall, with a spacious ground hall that can accommodate nearly a thousand people. Preliminary studies are underway to further explore its archaeological importance.
Picture Credit: Nepal Tourism Board, Wikimedia Commons, Nepolian Photography, Ghorahi Dang, Girls Rising Room, Ask Me about Nepal, Subash Chhetri
Compiled By: Anupa Chaudhary
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