Temple, monastery or heritage site
Badimalika
A high ridge-top goddess shrine and grassland in Bajura, the far west's most famous mountain pilgrimage.
Sudurpashchim Provinceबाजुरा
Bajura District
A rugged mountain district on the Karnali, best known for the hilltop shrine of Badimalika and its great August pilgrimage.
- Province
- Sudurpashchim
- Headquarters
- Martadi
- Area
- about 2,306 km²
- Places on Firfirey
- 3
About Bajura
Bajura lies in the north-east of Sudurpashchim, between Bajhang to the west and the Karnali Province districts of Mugu, Humla and Kalikot to the east, with Achham to the south. The Karnali River runs through the district in a deep gorge, and the Budhiganga rises in its hills. The land climbs from hot river valleys to high pastures and snow peaks along the northern border with Tibet. Martadi, the headquarters, sits in the Budhiganga valley.
Most people are Khas Chhetri, Brahmin and Dalit farmers, with Tibetan-influenced communities in the far north. Life is hard and incomes are low, and many people migrate for work. The district's best-known draw is Badimalika, a high ridge-top temple that attracts large numbers of pilgrims during Janai Purnima. Other visitors come for remote trekking and the open grasslands around the temple and the Khaptad area.
Places in Bajura
Getting there
Bajura is reached by road from the Terai via Achham, a long and rough journey that can take more than a day from Dhangadhi. Small airports at Martadi and Kolti have limited flights. Many villages, and the walk to Badimalika, are still reached only on foot.
Best time to visit
Late summer to autumn suits pilgrims heading to Badimalika and spring is also good, but the monsoon makes roads unreliable and winter brings heavy snow to the high ridges and the north.
Other districts in Sudurpashchim Province
Editorial draft: the district overview is being checked. Headquarters and Nepali names: nepal-places dataset (MIT). Area and map position computed from the district boundaries of the Government of Nepal, Survey Department, via OCHA.