“Which is the headquarters of Tehrathum?” is the kind of one-mark question that students lose because they never wrote the list out once. Here is the full list for Koshi Province, sorted by region, with one fact for each district that helps it stick.
All 14 districts in one table
| District | Headquarters | Region | Remember it by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taplejung | Phungling | Himal | Largest district by area; Kanchenjunga region |
| Sankhuwasabha | Khandbari | Himal | Makalu and the Arun valley |
| Solukhumbu | Salleri | Himal | Sagarmatha (Everest) |
| Panchthar | Phidim | Pahad | Between Taplejung and Ilam on the eastern hills |
| Ilam | Ilam | Pahad | Tea gardens; Mai Pokhari |
| Tehrathum | Myanglung | Pahad | Smallest and least populated district |
| Dhankuta | Dhankuta | Pahad | Old regional centre of the east |
| Bhojpur | Bhojpur | Pahad | Known for its metal and khukuri craft |
| Khotang | Diktel | Pahad | Halesi Mahadev cave temple |
| Okhaldhunga | Siddhicharan | Pahad | Headquarters named after the poet Siddhicharan Shrestha |
| Udayapur | Gaighat (Triyuga) | Inner Madhesh | Only Inner Madhesh district of the province |
| Jhapa | Chandragadhi (Bhadrapur) | Terai | Easternmost district; lowest point of Nepal |
| Morang | Biratnagar | Terai | Province capital; most populated district |
| Sunsari | Inaruwa | Terai | Itahari and Dharan sub-metros; Koshi Tappu nearby |
Count by region
- Himal (3): Taplejung, Sankhuwasabha, Solukhumbu
- Pahad (7): Panchthar, Ilam, Tehrathum, Dhankuta, Bhojpur, Khotang, Okhaldhunga
- Inner Madhesh (1): Udayapur
- Terai (3): Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari
Memory tip: Read the Himal row west to east as “Solu, Sankhuwa, Taple” (S-S-T) and the Terai row as “Jha-Mo-Sun” from east to west. Seven hill districts sit in between.
Headquarters that trick students
- Jhapa: the headquarters is Chandragadhi in Bhadrapur municipality, not Birtamod or Damak, even though those towns are bigger.
- Sunsari: the headquarters is Inaruwa, not Dharan or Itahari.
- Udayapur: Gaighat is in Triyuga municipality.
- Khotang: Diktel, and Okhaldhunga: Siddhicharan (the municipality name).
Common mistakes
- Picking the biggest town as the headquarters (Damak for Jhapa, Dharan for Sunsari).
- Putting Udayapur in the Terai list.
- Writing Ilam as a mountain district. It is a hill district.
Practice questions
Headquarters of Tehrathum district is:
- a) Myanglung
- b) Phidim
- c) Khandbari
- d) Diktel
Show answer
Answer: a. Myanglung. Phidim is Panchthar, Khandbari is Sankhuwasabha, Diktel is Khotang.
Which district headquarters is Salleri?
- a) Sankhuwasabha
- b) Solukhumbu
- c) Okhaldhunga
- d) Bhojpur
Show answer
Answer: b. Salleri is the headquarters of Solukhumbu.
Inaruwa is the headquarters of:
- a) Morang
- b) Jhapa
- c) Sunsari
- d) Udayapur
Show answer
Answer: c. Inaruwa is Sunsari’s headquarters.
How many hill (Pahad) districts are in Koshi Province?
- a) 5
- b) 6
- c) 7
- d) 8
Show answer
Answer: c. Seven: Panchthar, Ilam, Tehrathum, Dhankuta, Bhojpur, Khotang, Okhaldhunga.