napuni

Napuni is a rural settlement located in the western part of Nepal within Baitadi District of Sudurpashchim Province. The village lies in a hilly terrain at an altitude of approximately 1,200 metres above sea level and is part of the traditional administrative unit known as a village development committee.

According to the national census of 2011, Napuni had a population of around 1,200 residents dispersed across roughly 250 households. The inhabitants are predominantly engaged in subsistence agriculture, cultivating crops such as rice, wheat, maize and various legumes. Small-scale livestock rearing, particularly of goats and poultry, supplements household incomes. The local economy is largely self-reliant, with occasional trade taking place in nearby market towns.

The community places a strong emphasis on cultural traditions tied to the broader Nepali calendar. Major festivals celebrated in Napuni include Dashain, Tihar and the local harvest festival, during which folk music, dance and traditional rituals play central roles. Oral histories suggest that the village’s social structure is organized around extended family networks, and there is a local council that manages communal affairs.

Infrastructure in Napuni is modest. A primary school provides basic educational services for children up to the middle‑school level, while a health post staffed by a visiting nurse attends to general medical needs. Electricity supply is intermittent, and the nearest paved road connecting Napuni to the district capital is a few kilometres away, accessible by a 4‑wheel drive.

Despite its small size, Napuni exemplifies many of the characteristics common to Nepal’s hill‑top rural communities, balancing traditional lifestyles with gradual adaptation to modern services and external influences.