Ratnanagar () is a municipality in the Chitwan District of Bagmati Province, Nepal. It was established in 1997 through the merger of the former Village Development Committees of Old-Ratnanagar and Panchakanya.
Located adjacent to Chitwan National Park, Ratnanagar serves as a gateway to the park. Agriculture is the primary occupation, with rice, maize, mustard, and vegetables as major crops. Poultry farming and animal husbandry also contribute significantly to the local economy. Tourism is another important sector, particularly in nearby Sauraha, a hub for hotels, resorts, shops, and an Elephant Breeding Station.
The municipality has also introduced eco-friendly electric rickshaws to promote environmental preservation. It lies on the bank of the East Rapti River. In 2014, the former VDCs Bachhayauli and Pithuwa were merged into Ratnanagar.
Demographics According to the 2011 Nepal census, Ratnanagar Municipality had a population of 70,226.
Languages The most widely spoken first languages were:NepalMap Language
Language Percentage Nepali 70.2% Tharu 16.6% Tamang 3.9% Bhojpuri 2.6% Newar 1.6% Darai 1.2% Gurung 0.9% Magar 0.7% Hindi 0.7% Maithili 0.6% Chepang 0.3% Urdu 0.1% Bote 0.1% Rai 0.1% Kumal 0.1% Other 0.1%
Ethnicity/caste The largest ethnic/caste groups were:NepalMap Caste
Ethnicity/caste Percentage Hill Brahmin 33.1% Tharu 17.7% Chhetri 12.4% Tamang 6.7% Newar 6.4% Kami 3.4% Gurung 2.9% Magar 2.9% Musalman 2.5% Damai/Dholi 1.7% Sarki 1.4% Darai 1.3% Kumal 1.2% Sanyasi/Dasnami 1.1% Gharti/Bhujel 0.7% Chepang 0.5% Thakuri 0.5% Kalwar 0.4% Musahar 0.3% Rai 0.3% Other minorities <0.3%
Religion By religion, the population was:NepalMap Religion
Religion Percentage Hindu 87.9% Buddhist 7.2% Muslim 2.5% Christian 2.0% Prakriti 0.1% Other 0.2%
Ward profile Presidents of wards:
Ward No. President Party 1 Kul Prasad Sapkota NC 2 Rajendra Prasad Ghimire NC 3 Sohendra Raj Kharel NC 4 Ram Kumar Chaudhary NC 5 Balkrishna Chapagai NC 6 Kiran Mahato NC 7 Sajna Mahato CPN-UML 8 Krishna Chaudhary NC 9 Anant Adhikari Independent 10 Kaladhar Paudel NC 11 Shyam Kumar Shrestha CPN-UML 12 Sundarmani Subedi Maoist Centre 13 Pot Bahadur Ghimire CPN-UML 14 Hom Nath Ranabhat NC 15 Ashik Tamang CPN-UML 16 Hem Raj Thapa CPN-UML
Transportation Ratnanagar lies on the Mahendra Highway, one of the main highways in Nepal. A 3 km stretch of the highway passes through the municipality.
Media To promote local culture and broadcast community news, Ratnanagar has three community radio stations: Radio Arpan (104.5 MHz), Radio Chitwan (94.6 MHz), and Relation FM.
See also Sauraha
References