BAGLUNG
DISTRICT: A BRIEF INTRODUCTION
Introduction
Baglung District, a part of Gandaki Pradesh, is one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal, a landlocked country of South Asia. The district, with Baglung as its district headquarters, covers an area of 1,784 km² and has a population (2011) of 268,613. Baglung is surrounded by Parvat, Myagdi, Rukum, Ropla, Pyuthan and Gulmi districts. It looks like Nepal in shape. It consists of ten municipalities, out of which four are urban municipalities and six are rural municipalities. It has many rivers and streams and so, many suspension bridges. Baglung is also known as the district of suspension bridges because of the large number of bridges. It is a hilly district, most of the population settled in the sides of the rivers. Fertile planes situated in the either sides of the rivers are used for farming. Headquarter of Baglung (Baglung Bazaar) is also situated in the bank of the holy river- Kaligandaki. Like Nepal, Baglung is also diverse in religion, culture, ethnicity, altitude, temperature etc. Hinduism and Buddhism are the major religions. Magar, Chhetri, Bramhan, Newar, Gurung, Chhantyal and Thakali are the main ethnic groups living in Baglung.Baglung and its adjacent areas are also well known for Nepali folk music. Highest temperature in the lowest altitude of baglung rises up to about 37.5 degrees Celsius in summer and the lowest temperature at Dhorpatan falls up to about −15 degrees Celsius in winter. Altitude of Baglung varies from about 650 meters at Kharbang to about 4,300 meters in Dhorpatan.
Baglung Bazaar, Hatiya- Galkot, Kushmi Sera and Burtibang are the main trading
centers of Baglung. Galkot, Kushmi Sera and Burtibang are connected with the
district headquarter Baglung Bazaar by roads. Small part of Baglung is electrified
by Nepal Electricity Authority and some other parts are electrified by small
local hydro plants. Recently, telephone and internet have been accessible in
almost all villages of Baglung.
History
History of Baglung can be traced back to early 16th century. King
Pratapi Nayayan of Galkot married the princess of Palpa. The king brought
goddess kali along with him as dowry. Legend follows, nobody was able to carry
the sword of Kali. A youth from Kunwar chhetri family was finally able to carry
the sword. He was given the honorary title of Khadka (‘khadga’ meaning the
sword). One night when the wedding procession reached where Baglung is today,
the king had a dream. In his dream goddess Kali said she liked the place and wished
to stay there. The king then built a temple in honor of goddess Kali and
designated the Khadka as caretaker. This was in 1590 B.S. (1533 A.D.).
Significant population of Khadka Chhetris can be found in Baglung till date.
The strategic location of Baglung soon helped it to grow into a trading town.
King Pratapi Narayan also started the tradition of holding an annual fair
during ‘Chaitre Dashain‘. The fair is still held annually and draws thousands
of visitors every year during the two day event. Baglung remained to stay a
major trading point in Parvat kingdom, where merchants from south came to trade
for salt brought by Traders from Tibet. Major trade was carried along the Kali
Gandaki valley between India and Tibet by Thakali people. Newar merchants migrated
to Baglung from Bhaktapur in 18th century. Baglung became part of Greater Nepal
under unification war led by King Prithvi Narayan Shah. Under unified Nepal,
several government offices were established and the town was designated as
administrative headquarters of the region. Since then it had remained the most
important political and economic town in the Dhaulagiri Zone. After
the establishment of the current district and provincial system, again Baglung
retained its status as headquarters serving the area.
Economy
Baglung, the
district headquarter, has a large presence of government and non-governmental
institutions. Administrative as well as service centers are located within the
city limits. A number of governmental, non-governmental as well as political
conferences and rallies are held throughout the year. There is a significant
presence of Nepal Army, Nepal Police in
the area. Baglung is a center for healthcare in the region. Dhaulagiri
zonal hospital is the
major healthcare provider in the region with specialists in many fields of
medicine. It is also emerging as a referral hospital for other area hospitals. Hari B Khadka Trauma Center is
a designated center for immediate care, one of only three in nation that has
recently come into operation. Several private hospitals have come into
operation in recent years providing additional healthcare services. Baglung is
a Banking and financial hub of the Kaligandaki valley region. Almost all major
national banks have branches and regional offices in the city. Financial
services are also provided by many co-operatives and finance companies that
operate out of the city. Remittance plays a major role in economy of the area.
A large number of people are employed overseas and in neighboring India. People
from Baglung and nearby also have a tradition of enlisting in the British and
the Indian Army. Baglung and the region receive one of the highest amounts of
remittance earned from foreign employment. As of 2010, pension fund alone
distributed to ex-servicemen of the Indian Army by the Pension Paying Office at
Baglung stands at around US$20 million. Transportation sector is another major
source of employment in Baglung. Many small and medium scale transportation
companies provide bus, jeep and freight services to adjoining rural communities
and to the major cities in the nation. There are many shops and restaurants
catering to the locals and visitors. The town is bustling with many grocery
stores, newsstands, repair shops, tailors, beauty parlors, clothing and
electronics outlets. There are few small scale industries. Most of the
manufacturing work is limited to production of construction materials and home
furnishings. Schools and institutions of higher education also employ a
significant number of people.
Places of
interest
Views of Himalayas can
be had from Baglung. Bhakunde and Panchakot are
sites for views of the Dhaulagiri and the
Annapurna ranges.
Terraced fields, waterfalls, forests, deep gorges and caves are abundant
throughout the area. The terrain is suitable for trekking, biking, and rafting
that make Baglung a location for thrill seekers. Baglung also served as a
starting point for trekkers to Mustang, Dolpa and Mt. Dhaulagiri in
the past. However, with expansion of road networks Baglung now mostly serves as
a staging point for travelers to these areas. Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve,
the only hunting reserve in Nepal and a habitat for blue sheep and snow leopard,
also falls within district boundaries. Several tall suspension bridges can be
found in the area. One of them, the highest in Nepal, connects Balewa within
southern boundaries of the city with Kushma over the Kaligandaki river.
Several temples
in and around Baglung are the sites for pilgrimage. Most famous of all
religious sites in Baglung, is the Kaliaka Bhagawati Temple,
which is visited by thousands of pilgrims each year. An annual fair, one of the
largest in Nepal, is held during the Chaitre Dashain festival. Panchakot is
being developed under patronage of Shree Muktinath Baba Kamalnayanacharya as
a center for pilgrimage and religious education. Balewa
Bhairavsthan is an ancient temple
perched atop a mountain ridge that is frequented by devotees on Tuesdays.
Balaji temple Kundule, Gaurighat, Niraheghat, Khaniyaghat, Malika and Maikuti
are other sites that are visited by pilgrims.
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