Town or village
Manma
The hillside headquarters of Kalikot district, a stop on the Karnali Highway above the Karnali gorge.
Karnali Provinceकालिकोट
Kalikot District
Rugged Karnali gorge country crossed by the Karnali Highway, where the Tila River meets the Karnali on the way north to Jumla.
- Province
- Karnali
- Headquarters
- Manma
- Area
- about 1,646 km²
- Places on Firfirey
- 3
About Kalikot
Kalikot lies in the middle and high hills of Karnali Province, between Dailekh to the south and Jumla to the north-east, with Mugu, Bajura and Achham to its north and west. The Karnali River cuts a deep, steep-sided gorge through the district, and the Tila River joins it here. Settlements cling to slopes above the rivers, and the terrain climbs from hot valley floors to cool, forested ridges.
The population is mainly Hindu, with Chhetri, Thakuri, Brahmin and Dalit communities, and life centres on subsistence farming, livestock and seasonal work in India. Manma, the headquarters, sits above the Karnali. Kalikot is mostly experienced by travellers on the Karnali Highway between Surkhet and Jumla, who pass through its dramatic river scenery, with the Pachal Jharana waterfall a common stop beside the road.
Places in Kalikot
Town or village
Nagma
A small road junction bazaar in Kalikot where the route to Mugu and Rara leaves the Karnali Highway.
Viewpoint
Pachal Jharana
A tall waterfall in the hills of Kalikot that gives its name to the surrounding rural municipality.
Getting there
The Karnali Highway runs through Kalikot, linking it south to Surkhet and north to Jumla, and the drive from Surkhet usually takes most of a day, longer when landslides close the road. The nearest regular airports are at Surkhet and Jumla.
Best time to visit
Autumn and spring are best, as the monsoon brings landslides that often block the highway, while winter is dry with cold nights and occasional snow on the higher ground.
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.