Bandipur (Nepali: बन्दिपुर) is a hilltop settlement and a rural municipality in Tanahun District, Gandaki province of Nepal.

At the time of the 2011 Nepal census it had a population of total (Bandipur and Dharampani) 15,591 people living in 3,750 individual households.

The mountain saddle, just 200m long, is barely wide enough to accommodate the main street lined by 2 –3 storey buildings on either side.

Bandipur was established as a funnelling point of trade by Newar traders from Bhaktapur in the Kathmandu valley after it had been conquered in 1768 by Prithvi Narayan Shah.

They took advantage of its malaria free location to develop it into an important stop along the India-Tibet trade route.

Century Bandipur developed into prosperous trading centre and a community with town-like features: substantial buildings, with their neoclassical façades and shuttered windows and streets paved with slabs of silverish slate.

Bandipur had its heyday in the Rana times (1846–1951), when, as a measure of its power and prestige, it was granted special permission to have its own library (still existing).

For technical reasons it was logically built in the Marsyangdi valley, leaving Bandipur isolated up on the mountain.

In addition to that, as a result of its poor accessibility, Bandipur lost importance because the district headquarters of Tanahun were moved to Damauli.

The people were not easily and readily sidestepped by the construction of the road and fought for a different route in the planning process.

A distinctive aspect of Bandipur's main street is a covered veranda extending along almost the entire length on the northern side.

[2] In terms of ethnicity/caste, 28.0% were Gurung, 18.6% Magar, 10.5% Chhetri, 9.6% Hill Brahmin, 9.4% Newar, 6.5% Kami, 5.6% Sarki, 3.9% Gharti/Bhujel, 1.7% Damai/Dholi, 1.3% other Dalit, 1.2% Sanyasi/Dasnami, 0.7% Tamang, 0.6% Musalman, 0.6% Thakuri, 0.3% Kumal, 0.2% Rai, 0.2% Tharu, 0.1% Badi, 0.1% Bengali, 0.1% Chepang/Praja, 0.1% Gaine, 0.1% Ghale, 0.1% Teli, 0.1% Thakali, 0.1% Yadav and 0.4% others.