Bardiya District

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Bardiya district, a part of Bheri zone, is one of the seventy-five districts of Nepal, a landlocked country of South Asia. The district, with Gularia as its district headquarters, covers an area of 2,025 sq km and has a population (2001) of 382,649. It has a population of 382,649 as per the 2001 census.

Bardiya lies in Bheri zone in mid western region of Nepal. It covers 2025 square kilometers. It lies west of Banke district, south of Surkhet district, east of Kailai district and in the south lies Uttar Pradesh of India. It is fortile plain land covered with agricultural land and forest. Majority of the people living in this district are farmers. Its headquarter is Gularia which is at the bank of the Babai River. Karnali, one of the largest river of Nepal divides into many branches when it reaches plain land and flows through Bardiya. Western branch of Karnali river separates Bardiya from Kailali. Eastern branch of Karnali is called Geruwa. The endangered Gangetic dolphin used to be often seen in its waters few years back. However,dolphin population in the rivers of Bardiya have dwindled sharply in recent years.

Bardiya was part of Nepal before Sugauli treaty with East India Company in India. Nepal lost the region in the treaty. However, it was returned back to Nepal along with Banke, Kailali and Kanchanpur at the time of Jang Bahadur Rana. About hundred years back, Bardiya was covered with forest and was sparsely populated with tribal people called Tharus. Dang and Deukhuri valleys of Dang district had very large Tharu population at that time. However, as the Nepali speaking peoples from hills started migrating towards Dang valley, Tharus were displaced and moved westward into Banke, Bardiya, Kailali and Kanchanpur. later on Nepali speaking people also migrated into Bardiya. At present, majority of people living in Bardiya are Dangora Tharus. they have their own language. Sonaha, also tribals of Bardiya, living near by Karnali River live by searching gold from the sands of the river.