page_title: Ilam District
section_title: Introduction
hierarchical_section_title: Ilam District / Introduction
caption_attribution_description: Water reflections of trees in Antu Pond, Ilam, Nepal
context_page_description: Ilam district is one of 14 districts of Province No. 1 of eastern Nepal. It is a Hill district and covers 1,703 km². The 2011 census counted 290,254 population. The municipality of Ilam is the district headquarters, about 600 km from Kathmandu.
context_section_description: Ilam attracts many researchers who come to study rare birds and the red panda. Ilam stretches from the Terai belt to the upper hilly belt of this Himalayan nation.
  The name Ilam is derived from the limbu language in which "IL" means twisted and "Lam" means road. Ilam was one of the ten self ruling states of Limbuwan before the reunification of Nepal. Its ruler King Hangshu Phuba Lingdom of Lingdom dynasty ruled Ilam as a confederate state of Limbuwan until 1813 AD. The treaty between the other Limbuwan states and the King of Gorkha (Gorkha-Limbuwan Treaty of 1774 AD) and the conflict of Gorkha and Sikkim led to the unification of Ilam with Gorkha. Ilam was the last of the ten kingdoms of Limbuwan to be reunified into Nepal. The King of Gorkha gave the ruler of Ilam full autonomy to rule and the right of Kipat. Ilam was an independent Limbu kingdom until 1813 CE/1869 BS.
  Ilam is today one of the most developed places in Nepal. Its ILAM TEA is very famous and is exported to many parts of Europe. The main source of income in this district is tea, cardamom, milk, ginger, potato, orlon, and broom production on a large scale.
  This place also has a religious importance. The devi temples have a great importance attached to them and many people come here just for pilgrimage.
  The major attraction of Ilam is the nine-cornered Mai Pokhari lake. Also known as the abode of the goddess many tourists as well as Nepalese people come to visit this place. Similarly, Gajurmukhi is also the religious spot for pilgrimages from Nepal and India. Mai river and its four tributaries also emerge in Ilam district. The famous Mane Bhanjyang (Mane pass) connects Ilam with Darjeeling district of West Bengal, India.
  Ilam was much in the news in the past during the Maoist insurgency, from here the Maoists launched frequent, massive attacks.
  Tourists going to Ilam can expect to pay around 7000 rupees a week for accommodation and food.
caption: Antu Pond, reflecting the color of its surroundings
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