Town or village
Bhimdatta (Mahendranagar)
Nepal's westernmost city and the base for Shuklaphanta National Park and the Mahakali border.
Sudurpashchim Provinceकञ्चनपुर
Kanchanpur District
Nepal's south-western corner, known for the grasslands and swamp deer of Shuklaphanta National Park and the Mahakali border.
- Province
- Sudurpashchim
- Headquarters
- Bhimdatta
- Area
- about 1,623 km²
- Places on Firfirey
- 3
About Kanchanpur
Kanchanpur occupies the far south-western corner of Nepal, on the flat Terai between the Mahakali River, which forms the border with India to the west, and Kailali to the east. Dadeldhura's hills rise to the north. The land is low and warm, with forest along the Chure foothills and open grassland and wetland in the south, much of it inside Shuklaphanta National Park.
Rana Tharu communities have long lived here, alongside hill settlers who arrived in large numbers in recent decades. Bhimdatta, also known as Mahendranagar, is the headquarters and a lively border market town near the crossing to India. Farming is the mainstay. Travellers come mainly for Shuklaphanta, with its herds of swamp deer, grassland birds and lakes, and for Rana Tharu culture.
Places in Kanchanpur
National park or conservation area
Shuklaphanta National Park
Vast open grasslands in Nepal's far south-west, home to large herds of swamp deer, tigers and grassland birds.
Temple, monastery or heritage site
Siddhanath Temple, Mahendranagar
The best-known Shiva temple of Mahendranagar, a focus for pilgrims from across the far west during Shivaratri.
Getting there
Kanchanpur lies at the western end of the East-West Highway, a long full day or overnight journey from Kathmandu. Most visitors fly to Dhangadhi in neighbouring Kailali and continue by road to Bhimdatta in a few hours. There is also a border crossing to India near Bhimdatta.
Best time to visit
Late autumn to early spring is best for wildlife viewing in Shuklaphanta, though winter mornings can be foggy; the pre-monsoon months are very hot, and the monsoon floods low ground and closes parts of the park.
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.