Palpa District

Palpa lies in the Mahabharat hills of Lumbini Province, rising from the edge of the Terai to forested ridges and dropping again to the Kali Gandaki, which forms much of its northern and eastern edge. It borders Rupandehi and Parasi to the south, Arghakhanchi and Gulmi to the west and north, and Syangja across the river to the north. Tansen, the headquarters, sits on a hillside at a pleasant middle altitude.

Palpa was once the seat of a powerful hill kingdom, and Tansen keeps a strong Newar trading character with steep lanes, old temples and a restored palace square. Magar communities are prominent in the wider district. Visitors come for Tansen's bazaar and Srinagar Danda viewpoint, for Rani Mahal, a palace built beside the Kali Gandaki, and for Dhaka weaving and metalwork. Ridi, on the river, is an important pilgrimage town.