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Taplejung
སྟབས་ལས་རྫོང | |
|---|---|
    Dudh Kunda at Yamtari Glacier, Lelep village, view from Pathibhara temple, Gunsa village (clockwise from top) | |
| Nickname: ताप्लेजोङ | |
 Location of Taplejing (dark yellow) in Koshi Province | |
| Coordinates: 27°21′0″N 87°40′0″E / 27.35000°N 87.66667°E | |
| Country |  Nepal |
| Province | Koshi Province |
| Established | 1962 |
| Admin HQ. | Phungling Municipality |
| Government | |
| • Type | Coordination committee |
| • Body | DCC, Taplejung |
| • Head | Mr. Ghanendra Maden |
| • Deputy-Head | Mrs. Debimaya Nepali |
| Area | |
• Total | 3,645.05 km2 (1,407.36 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 3rd |
| Highest elevation | 8,586 m (28,169 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 670 m (2,200 ft) |
| Population (2021)[1] | |
• Total | 120,590 |
| • Density | 33.083/km2 (85.685/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+05:45 (NPT) |
| Postal Codes | 57500 |
| Website | ddctaplejung |
Taplejung[a],Taplejong (Sherpa Language: སྟབས་ལས་རྫོང་རྫོང་ཁག,, is a district in Koshi Province, located in far-eastern Nepal. It is one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal and covers an area of 3,646 km2 (1,408 sq mi), making it the third-largest district in Nepal by area. According to the 2011 Nepal Census, the district has a population of 127,461. Its administrative headquarters is Phungling Municipality.[2]
Taplejung lies deep in the Himalayas in eastern Nepal, bordering the Chinese Tibet Autonomous Region to the north across the Himalayan range, Sankhuwasabha District to the west, Tehrathum District and Panchthar District to the south, and Indian state of Sikkim to the east.
Geographically, it lies between latitudes of 27º06' to 27º55' N and longitudes of 87º57' to 88°12' E.[3]
Etymology
[edit]The origin of the name Taplejung is believed by different communities to have derived from both the Sherpa language and the Limbu language.
According to the Sherpa (Bhote) community’s historical tradition, the name is associated with a Sherpa (Bhote) ruler known as King Taple (སྟབས་ལས) and the word Jong (རྫོང), which means fortress, castle, or stronghold. According to this belief, the combination of these words gradually transformed through linguistic changes into the present name Taplejung.
The Limbu interpretation also considers the word Taplejung to have been formed by combining two words. According to this tradition, during the medieval period, a ruler named King Taple governed this region. In the Limbu language, "Jung" is understood to mean a fortress or a military fortification occupied by soldiers. Therefore, Taplejung is interpreted as meaning "the fortress where King Taple established his rule."
It is claimed that the fortress of King Taple was located at the site of the present-day military barracks. According to some eyewitnesses and members of an excavation group, when the military barracks were established in 2024 B.S. (1967 A.D.), there was a pond at the location where the current playground exists. During the excavation of that pond, remains believed to be related to Buddhism were reportedly discovered, including prayer beads and a Chorten (མཆོད་རྟེན), meaning a stupa.
Based on these oral accounts and reported findings, some members of the Sherpa (Bhote) community have continued to claim that the area was historically connected with their ancestors and Buddhist heritage.
History
[edit]
Taple” (སྟབས་ལས) – believed to refer to a local Sherpa/Bhote clan or an old settlement in the area. “Jong” (རྫོང) – a word used to mean a fort, hill settlement, or place in Sherpa/Bhote several Himalayan languages, including Tibetan influences.
According to Sherpa (Bhote) oral traditions, the downfall of King Taple occurred during the territorial expansion campaign of King Prithvi Narayan Shah’s Gorkha forces. According to this account, during the expansion of the Gorkha Kingdom, a temporary agreement was made near present-day Chainpur of Sankhuwasabha District to avoid direct conflict. It is believed that weapons were secretly hidden under the pretext of burying the bodies of deceased soldiers. During the Futuk festival, when the opposing forces were reportedly engaged in celebrations and some soldiers had consumed chang (traditional fermented alcoholic beverage), the Gorkha soldiers are said to have taken out the hidden weapons and launched a surprise attack. According to this oral account, around 300 Gorkha soldiers attacked a force of approximately 2,000 Tibetan and eastern Sikkimese troops, resulting in more than 1,300 deaths. It is further believed that some surviving forces fled eastward toward Taplejung, while others escaped toward Kimathanka. The surviving groups are said to have performed funeral rites for the deceased and established memorial sites in different parts of eastern Taplejung. According to local traditions, such memorial structures, including Mani walls and Buddhist monuments, can still be found up to Olangchung Gola. Following these events, some groups are believed to have surrendered to the Gorkha forces, some assimilated with the Limbu communities, while others migrated toward Tibet and Sikkim.
Limbus were given more rights and given kipat (किपट) and Limbuwan is found in 9 districts.
Before the unification of Nepal, the area of Taplejung and its surrounds were called after 19th century pallo Kirat Limbuwan which means "far region" and was ruled by the Limbu kings of Limbuwan.[5]
After the unification of Nepal, the area of Taplejung became a part of the large Dhankuta District.
In 1962 when the traditional old 32 districts divided into 75, the three thums (counties) of the large Dhankuta district separately established a new district named "Taplejung".
Geography and climate
[edit]Geographically Taplejung is a mountainous district where the world's third highest peak Kanchenjunga (8586 m) is located.[6] It is situated at elevation ranging from 670 metres (2,200 ft) to 8,586 metres (28,169 ft) from sea level.[7]
The Tamor River is a main river in the district, which flows through the middle in the district dividing district in east and west Taplejung. Gunsa river, Simbuwa river and the many tributaries of Tamur are important sources of freshwater. There are more than 60 rivers and streams in the district. Some glacial lakes are: Sinjenma Pokhari, Samdo Pokhari, Tin Pokhari, Kali Pokhari etc.[8][9]
The district includes many highest peaks e.g. Gimmigela (7350 m), talung (7349 m), Kabru (7276 m), Nepal peak (7177 m), Kumbhkarna (7025 m) etc.[10] Kanchenjunga Conservation Area is a protected area in the district which covers an area of 2,035 square kilometres (786 sq mi).
| Climate Zone[11] | Elevation Range | % of Area |
|---|---|---|
| Upper Tropical | 300 to 1,000 meters 1,000 to 3,300 ft. |
2.4% |
| Subtropical | 1,000 to 2,000 meters 3,300 to 6,600 ft. |
14.8% |
| Temperate | 2,000 to 3,000 meters 6,400 to 9,800 ft. |
19.5% |
| Subalpine | 3,000 to 4,000 meters 9,800 to 13,100 ft. |
16.8% |
| Alpine | 4,000 to 5,000 meters 13,100 to 16,400 ft. |
38.8% |
| Nival | above 5,000 meters | 7.7% |
Demographics
[edit]| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 120,780 | — |
| 1991 | 120,053 | −0.06% |
| 2001 | 134,698 | +1.16% |
| 2011 | 127,461 | −0.55% |
| 2021 | 120,590 | −0.55% |
| Sources:[12] | ||
At the time of the 2021 Nepal census, Taplejung district had a population of 120,590. Taplejung has a sex ratio of 984 females per 1000 males. 28,449 (23.59%) lived in urban areas.[13]
As their first language, 35.40% of the population spoke Limbu, 24.59% Nepali, 24.30% Sherpa, 4.25% Tamang, 2.78% Gurung, 2.19% Rai and 0.92% Magar as their first language.[14]
Ethnicity/caste wise, in 2021 42.60% were Limbu, 12.00% Sherpa, 11.7% Chhetri, 5.70% Hill Brahmin, 5.1% Rai, 4.73% Gurung, 4.66% Tamang, 4.55% Kami, 1.45% Damai, 1.39% Newar, 1.10% Magar, 1.05% Sunuwar and 0.95% Mijar.[15]
Religion: 44.22% were Kirati, 30.4% Hindu, 22% Buddhist, 2.60% Christian, 0.66% Bon and 0.34% others.[17]
Literacy: 71.0% could read and write, 2.8% could only read and 26.1% could neither read nor write.[18]
Administration
[edit]Taplejung District is administered by Taplejung District Coordination Committee (Taplejung DCC). The Taplejung DCC is elected by Taplejung District Assembly. The head of Taplejung DCC is Mr. Ghanendra Maden and Mrs. Devimaya Nepali is deputy head of Taplejung DCC.
Taplejung District Administration Office under Ministry of Home Affairs co-operate with Taplejung DCC to maintain peace, order and security in the district. The officer of District Administration office called CDO and current CDO of Taplejung DAO is Dorendra Niraula.
Taplejung District Court is a judicial court to see the cases of people on district level.
| Administration | Name | Head |
|---|---|---|
| Legislative | District Coordination Committee | Ghanendra Maden |
| Executive | District Administration Office | Dorendra Niraula |
| Judicial | District Court | Prakash Raut |
Division
[edit]Taplejung is divided in total 9 local level bodies, in which only Phungling is an urban municipality otherwise all other local level bodies are rural municipality.
| SN | Local level unit | Type | Population | Area | No. of wards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phungling | urban | 26406 | 125.57 | 11 |
| 2 | Aathrai Tribeni | rural | 13784 | 88.83 | 5 |
| 3 | Sidingwa | rural | 12099 | 206 | 7 |
| 4 | Phaktanglung | rural | 12017 | 1858.51 | 7 |
| 5 | Mikkwakhola | rural | 9160 | 442.96 | 5 |
| 6 | Meringden | rural | 12548 | 210.33 | 6 |
| 7 | Maiwakhola | rural | 11037 | 138 | 6 |
| 8 | Pathibhara Yangwarak | rural | 13591 | 93.76 | 6 |
| 9 | Sirijangha | rural | 15806 | 481.09 | 8 |
Former administrative divisions
[edit]Formerly, Taplejung had one municipality and many VDCs. VDCs were the local level administrative units for villages.
Fulfilling the requirement of the new constitution of Nepal 2015, on 10 March 2017 all VDCs were nullified and formed new units after grouping VDCs.
Constituencies
[edit]Taplejung District consists 1 Parliamentary constituency and 2 Provincial constituencies[19]
| Constituencies | Type | Area | MP/MLA | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taplejung 1 | Parliamentary | whole Taplejung district | Yogesh Bhattarai | UML |
| Taplejung 1(A) | Provincial | Phungling, Yangwarak, Sidingba, Sirijangha and the ward no. 3 of Phaktanglung | Til Kumar Menyangbo Limbu | UML |
| Taplejung 1(B) | Provincial | Aathrai Tribeni, Maiwakhola, Meringden, Mikwakhola and Phaktanglung (excluding ward no. 3) | Khagen Singh Hangam | NC |
Transportation
[edit]Taplejung (headquarters) is connected to the rest of Nepal by the Mechi Highway which meets the east–west or Mahendra Highway at Charali (Mechinagar). The distance from Mechinagar to Taplejung is 227 kilometres (141 mi).[20] A person can travel from Kathmandu to Taplejung by public bus, jeep or by flight. Taplejung Airport is a nearest airport.
Tourism
[edit]Taplejung is a best destination for trekkers. Kanchenjunga Conservation Area comprises cultivated lands, forests, pastures, rivers, high altitude lakes and glaciers. snow leopard, Asian black bear, red panda, golden-breasted fulvetta, snow cock, blood pheasant and red-billed chough can be seen in the area.[21] Pathibhara Devi Temple or Mukkumlung Manghim at Taplejung hill is considered as the home to Yuma Sammang, the deity of Limbu people and thus worshipped. A 16th century Diki Chhyoling monastery lies in Olangchung-gola.
Notable people
[edit]See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]References
[edit]
- ↑ Household and population by districts, Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) Nepal Archived 2013-07-31 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ "Taplejung District in Nepal". Retrieved 28 March 2020.
- ↑ "Introduction DCC Taplejung". Archived from the original on 30 September 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
- ↑ "Top 5 Places to Visit in Taplejung". 20 July 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
- ↑ "Indigenous voice Limbu". Archived from the original on 10 June 2021. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
- ↑ "Taplejung". Archived from the original on June 14, 2016. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
- ↑ "Taplejung Geography". Archived from the original on 7 April 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
- ↑ "Inventory of Sinjema-Syamdo and Timbung Pokhari". Retrieved 29 March 2020.
- ↑ "a complete guide to Nepal's rivers". Sun Koshi river trip. . Retrieved 2010-05-14.
- ↑ "Taplejung". Retrieved 29 March 2020.
- ↑ The Map of Potential Vegetation of Nepal - a forestry/agroecological/biodiversity classification system (PDF), . Forest & Landscape Development and Environment Series 2-2005 and CFC-TIS Document Series No.110., 2005, ISBN 87-7903-210-9, retrieved Nov 22, 2013
- ↑ "Nepal: Provinces and Districts". www.citypopulation.de.
- ↑ "NepalMap profile: Taplejung". NepalMap. Archived from the original on 10 April 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
- ↑ NepalMap Language Archived 2023-03-16 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ NepalMap Caste Archived 2023-03-16 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ "NepalMap profile: Taplejung". NepalMap. Archived from the original on 10 April 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
- ↑ NepalMap Religion
- ↑ NepalMap Literacy
- ↑ "Constituency map of Taplejung District" (PDF). Election Commission of Nepal. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
- ↑ "Taplejung". Archived from the original on June 14, 2016. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
- ↑ Bhuju, U. R.; Shakya, P. R.; Basnet, T. B.; Shrestha, S. (2007). Nepal Biodiversity Resource Book. Protected Areas, Ramsar Sites, and World Heritage Sites (PDF). Kathmandu: International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, in cooperation with United Nations Environment Programme, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. ISBN 978-92-9115-033-5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-26. Retrieved 2018-12-14.
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Headquarters: Phungling Municipality | |||
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