Dhanusha District

Dhanusha District, (धनुषा जिल्ला; ), a part of Madhesh Province, is one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal. It is situated in the Outer Terai. The district, with Janakpurdham as its district headquarter, covers an area of 1,180.7 km2 and has a population (2021) of 838,084.

During the elections in April 2008, the district was divided into seven constituencies. It is also the home district of the first president of Nepal, Dr. Ram Baran Yadav, who contested and won the elections from constituency 5. As a political center of the region, Dhanusha has prominent leaders like Bimalendra Nidhi (Former Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal), Anand Prasad Dhungana, Mahendra Yadav and Ram Krishna Yadav from the Nepali Congress, Anand Yadav (Gangaram Yadav ) from the CPN-UML, Matrika Yadav from the CPN-Maoist and Ram Chandra Jha from CPN (Unified Socialist) who have been ministers at various point of time and are still active.

The most common language spoken in Dhanusha is Maithili.

Dhanusha district has an airport and the only railway system of Nepal which connects Janakpurdham with an Indian town, Jayanagar. It has several good hotels like Hotel Rama, Hotel Sita Palace, including the starred hotel, Hotel Welcome, Sitasaran Hotel and Happy Hotel. It also has the Janakpur Zonal Hospital and several private hospitals.

Economy
Agriculture is the major economy of the Dhanusha district. About 90% of citizens of the district are involved in the cultivation of wheat and rice. Rice is the major output. Dhanusha still relies mostly on old-age farming practices, such as the use of bullock-cart for transportation and bull plow for tilling the agriculture fields. However, there is a slow introduction to modern techniques such as a tractor for goods transportation (for agriculture purposes), thrasher, and so on. Remittances make up a large portion of its GDP.

Demographics
At the time of the 2011 Nepal census, Dhanusha District had a population of 754,777.

As their first language, 85.9% spoke Maithili, 4.4% Nepali, 3.1% Magahi, 2.4% Urdu, 1.0% Rai, 0.9% Magar, 0.3% Danuwar, 0.3% Newar, 0.2% Sunuwar, 0.1% Bhojpuri, 0.1% Hindi, 0.1% Majhi, 0.1% Rajasthani and 0.1% other languages.

Ethnicity/caste: 17.5% were Yadav, 8.4% Musalman, 6.1% Kewat, 5.2% Teli, 5.1% Koiri/Kushwaha, 5.0% Dhanuk, 4.4% Sudhi, 3.8% Chamar/Harijan/Ram, 3.4% Tatma/Tatwa, 3.0% Terai Brahmin, 2.8% Bin, 2.6% Musahar, 2.5% Dusadh/Paswan/Pasi, 2.3% Khatwe, 1.8% Baraee, 1.5% Halwai, 1.4% Hill Brahmin, 1.4% Hajam/Thakur, 1.3% Chhetri, 1.3% Kurmi, 1.3% Mallaha, 1.3% other Terai, 1.2% Tamang, 1.1% Magar, 1.0% Kalwar, 1.0% Kumhar, 1.0% Sonar, 0.8% Danuwar, 0.8% Dhobi, 0.8% Kathabaniyan, 0.8% Kayastha, 0.7% Nuniya, 0.6% Gaderi/Bhedihar, 0.6% Kami, 0.6% Lohar, 0.6% Newar, 0.6% Tharu, 0.5% Rajput, 0.3% Badhaee, 0.2% Damai/Dholi, 0.2% Dhunia, 0.2% Dom, 0.2% Gharti/Bhujel, 0.2% Kanu, 0.2% Kumal, 0.2% Majhi, 0.2% Mali, 0.2% Sanyasi/Dasnami, 0.2% Sarki, 0.2% Sunuwar, 0.1% Amat, 0.1% Bantar/Sardar, 0.1% Bengali, 0.1% Bhote, 0.1% Dhankar/Dharikar, 0.1% Halkhor, 0.1% Jhangad/Dhagar, 0.1% Marwadi, 0.1% Punjabi/Sikh, 0.1% Rai and 0.2% others.

Religion: 89.3% were Hindu, 8.4% Muslim, 1.5% Buddhism, 0.1% Christian, 0.1% Prakriti and 0.6% others.

Literacy: 50.4% could read and write, 3.3% could only read and 45.9% could neither read nor write.

Administration
The district consists of one sub-metropolitan city, eleven urban municipalities and six rural municipalities. These are as follows:


 * Janakpur Sub Metropolitan City
 * Chhireshwarnath Municipality
 * Ganeshman Charanath
 * Dhanusadham Municipality
 * Nagarain Municipality
 * Bideha Municipality
 * Mithila Municipality
 * Sahidnagar Municipality
 * Sabaila Municipality
 * Kamala Municipality
 * Mithila Bihari Municipality
 * Hansapur Municipality
 * Janaknandani Rural Municipality
 * Bateshwar Rural Municipality
 * Mukhiyapatti Musharniya Rural Municipality
 * Lakshminya Rural Municipality
 * Aurahi Rural Municipality
 * Dhanauji Rural Municipality

Former municipalities and VDCs



 * Andupatti
 * Aurahi
 * Baphai
 * Bagchaura
 * Baheda Bala
 * Bahuarba
 * Balabakhar
 * Balaha Kathal
 * Balaha Saghara
 * Ballagoth
 * Baniniya
 * Baramajhiya
 * Basahiya
 * Basbitti
 * Bateshwar
 * Bega Shivapur
 * Begadawar
 * Bharatpur
 * Bhuchakrapur
 * Bhutahi Paterwa
 * Bindhi
 * Bisarbhora
 * Chakkar
 * Chireswarnath
 * Chora Koilpur
 * Debadiha
 * Deuri Parbaha
 * Devpura Rupetha
 * Dhabauli
 * Dhalkebar
 * Dhanauji
 * Dhanusadham Municipality
 * Dubarikot Hathalekha
 * Duhabi
 * Ekarahi
 * Ganeshman Charanath Municipality
 * Ghodghans
 * Giddha
 * Godar
 * Gopalpur
 * Goth Kohelpur
 * Hansapur Kathpula
 * Harine
 * Hathipur Harbara
 * Inarwa
 * Itaharwa
 * Janakpur Sub Metropolis
 * Jhatiyahi
 * Jhojhi Kataiya
 * Kachuri Thera
 * Kajara Ramaul
 * Kanakpatti
 * Khajuri Chanha
 * Khariyani
 * Kurtha
 * Labatoli
 * Lagmamdha Guthi
 * Lakhauri
 * Lakkad
 * Lakshminibas
 * Lakshmipur Bagewa
 * Lohana Bahbangama
 * Machijhitakaiya
 * Mahuwa (Pra. Ko)
 * Mahuwa (Pra. Khe)
 * Makhanaha
 * Manshingpatti
 * Mithileshwar Nikash
 * Mithileshwar Mauwahi
 * Mithila Municipality
 * Mukhiyapatti Mushargiya
 * Nagarain
 * Nakatajhijh
 * Nauwakhor Prashahi
 * Nunpatti
 * Pachaharwa
 * Papikleshwar
 * Patanuka
 * Paterwa
 * Paudeshwar
 * Phulgama
 * Puspalpur
 * Raghunathpur
 * Rampur Birta
 * Sabaila Municipality
 * Sapahi
 * Satosar
 * Shantipur
 * Siddha
 * Singyahi Maidan
 * Sinurjoda
 * Sonigama
 * Suga Madhukarahi
 * Suganikash
 * Tarapatti Sirsiya
 * Thadi Jhijha
 * Thilla Yaduwa
 * Tulsi Chauda
 * Tulsiyahi Nikas
 * Tulsiyani Jabdi
 * Yadukush
 * Yagyabhumi

Notable people

 * Mahendra Narayan Nidhi, democracy fighter and recipient of second highest honour, the Rastra Gaurav Man Padavi
 * Ram Baran Yadav, first president of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal
 * Bimalendra Nidhi, Nepali Congress Vice president and former Deputy prime minister and Home Minister of Nepal
 * Ram Chandra Jha, former Minister and secretariat member of CPN (Unified Socialist)
 * Mahendra Yadav, Nepali Congress Deputy General Secretary and former Minister for Water Supply
 * Chandra Mohan Yadav, member of Nepalese Constituent Assembly
 * Raghubir Mahaseth, CPN (UML) secretary and former Minister for Physical Development
 * Minakshi Jha and Smriti Narayan Chaudhary, Nepali Congress leaders and member of House of Representatives
 * Minakshi Jha and Smriti Narayan Chaudhary, Nepali Congress leaders and member of House of Representatives

Ministers of Federal government

 * Ram Krishna Yadav, Nepali Congress leader and former Minister for Agriculture
 * Umashankar Argariya, MJFN (Loktantrik) leader and Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation
 * Ananda Prasad Dhungana, Nepali Congress leader and former Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation
 * Ananda Prasad Dhungana, Nepali Congress leader and former Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation

Minister of provincial government

 * Ram Saroj Yadav, current Minister for Physical Infrastructure Development
 * Satrudhan Mahato, current Minister for Industry, Tourism and Forest