Discover Nepal guide
Chitwan District: Culture & Travel Guide
Explore Chitwan District: geography, communities, heritage, food, trekking routes, best time to visit and practical details.
The inner Terai's great wildlife plain, where the Rapti meets the Narayani below the Mahabharat hills.
People and communities
Chhetri and Brahmin communities with the indigenous Tharu people of the Terai forests, plus Newar, Gurung, Magar, Tamang, Chepang (in the hills) and Madhesi communities.
History
The district's name comes from the Tharu word for leopard country. Malaria eradication in the 1950s opened the valley to settlement; the national park was gazetted in 1973 to protect the last great rhino grasslands.
Culture and traditions
Tharu stick dances, fire dances and the Maghi festival (mid-January) mark the district's indigenous calendar; Tharu longhouses with mud-relief walls remain in villages like Bachhauli.
Food and agriculture
Tharu cuisine: ghonghi (river snails), sidhra, dhikri and river fish; the district is also a poultry and dairy hub for the whole country.
Best time to visit
Oct–Jun; Dec–Feb for birds.
Places and heritage
- Chitwan National Park (UNESCO)