Dailekh District (Nepali:दैलेख जिल्लाpronounced[dʌi̯lekʰ]^ⓘ) a part ofKarnali Province, is one of the 77districts of Nepal. The district, withDailekh as its district headquarters, covers an area of 1,502 km² (580 sq mi) and had a population of 225,201 in 2001^[2] and 261,770 in 2011.^[3]

Dailekh District दैलेख जिल्ला
District
View of fields in Guranshe
Location of Dailekh District (dark yellow) in Karnali
Coordinates:28°50′15″N81°42′28″E / 28.83750°N 81.70778°E /28.83750; 81.70778
Country	Nepal
Province	Karnali Province
Admin HQ.	Dailekh (Narayan)
Municipality	List Urban Narayan Dullu Aathbis Chamunda Bindrasaini Rural Thantikandh Bhairawi Mahabu Naumule Dungeshwar Gurans Bhagawatimai
Government
• Type	Coordination committee
• Body	DCC, Dailekh
• Head	Mr. Prem Bahadur Thapa
• Parliamentary constituencies	2 seats List Dailekh 1 Dailekh 2
• Provincial constituencies	4 seats List Dailekh 1(A) Dailekh 1(B) Dailekh 2(A) Dailekh 2 (B)
Area
• Total	1,505 km2 (581 sq mi)
Highest elevation	4,168 m (13,675 ft)
Lowest elevation	544 m (1,785 ft)
Population  (2011)[1]
• Total	260,855
• Density	170/km2 (450/sq mi)
Demographics
• Ethnic groups	Chetri,Kami,Thakuri
• Female♀	51%
Human Development Index
• Literacy	62%
Time zone	UTC+05:45 (NPT)
Postal Codes	21600, 21602, 21603, 21604, 21605, 21607..., 21610
Telephone Code	089
Main Language(s)	Nepali
Major highways	Mid-Hill (under cons.)
Website	ddcdailekh.gov.np

It is said that the nameDailekh is derived fromDadhi Lekh. Dadhi stands forDadhichi.Dadhichi was a sage in ancient time andLekh meanhill. Etymologically ‘Dadhi Lekh’ means the hill where sage Dadhichi meditated.^[4][5] There is also another story about name that, in ancient time it was a place ofDevatas, so it called "Daibalok" which later became 'Dailekh'.^[4][5]

Dailekh District was a part ofKhasa kingdom during 12th to 14th century.^[6]Sinja Valley was the ancient capital city and powerful town of the Khasa Kingdom^{[7]: 76 [8]} After the fall down of the Khasa Kingdom it divided into many small kingdoms. Before the unification of modern Nepal, the area of the Karnali region had a united kingdom namedBaise Rajya (Twenty two principalities). Dailekh principality was one in twenty two principalities.

Dailekh is a high, hilly district out of ten districts ofKarnali Province. It is situated at coordinates of 28° 35' 00" N to 29° 08' 00" N Latitudes and 81° 25' 00" E to 81° 53' 00" E of Longitudes. The lowest elevation is 544m and the highest elevation is 4,168m. The headquarter is situated at an elevation of 1448m. The district has covered 80% of mid-hill land and 21% of high-hill land. The total area of the district is 1,505 square kilometres (581 sq mi).^[5]

On the basis of altitude,this district can be classified into 4 different sub-categories:

Dailekh is connected withBirendranagar (the capital city ofKarnali Province) with a road called Dailekh road (F-48). Dailekh road meets toRatna Highway (NH-12) at Birendranagar (Surkhet). Ratna Highway is connected withMahendra Highway (NH-1) atKohalpur. Through Mahendra Highway one can get access toKathmandu,Pokhara and other cities of Nepal.

There is another road connecting Dailekh toKarnali Highway (NH-13) viaDullu.

The national capitalKathmandu is at distance of 647.41 kilometres (402.28 mi) from Dailekh.

The nearest airport for Dailekh isSurkhet Airport which is about 70 kilometres (43 mi) at distance from Dailekh.

At the time of the2011 Nepal census, Dailekh District had a population of 261,770

As their first language, 97.9% spokeNepali, 1.5%Magar, 0.2%Gurung, 0.1%Kham, 0.1%Tamang and 0.1% other languages.^[11]

Ethnicity/caste: 34.8% wereChhetri, 18.6%Kami, 14.1%Thakuri, 10.9%Hill Brahmin, 9.2%Magar, 5.0%Damai/Dholi, 3.1%Sarki, 1.5% Sanyasi/Dasnami, 1.3%Gurung, 0.3%Badi, 0.3%Newar, 0.2% otherDalit, 0.2%Musalman, 0.1%Kumal, 0.1%Tamang and 0.1% others.^[12]

^[13]

Religion: 97.4% wereHindu, 1.9%Buddhist, 0.5%Christian and 0.2%Muslim.^[14]

Literacy: 62.3% could read and write, 3.3% could only read and 34.3% could neither read nor write.^[15]

Dailekh comprises 2parliamentary seats and 4provincial seats:

As per the newconstitution of Nepal 2015, the district is divided into 4 urban municipalities and 7 rural municipality;

•  
  An entrance gate to Dailekh District in Ranimatta Mid-western Nepal
•  
  Aerial view of Dailekh District (Mid Western Nepal) on the way to Surkhet from Humla
•  
  Aerial view of Dailekh District (Mid Western Nepal) on the way to Surkhet from Humla
•  
  River Karnali, an aerial view of Dailekh District (Mid Western Nepal) on the way to Surkhet from Humla

• Zones of Nepal
• "Districts of Nepal".Statoids.

• Volunteer Charity Work
• District Development Committee, Dailekh

28°50′15″N81°42′28″E / 28.83750°N 81.70778°E /28.83750; 81.70778