Khukuri :The story of Khukuri
Khukuri
Khukuri -In our ancient culture, the place of kukhuri is revered and revered. There are interesting ideas about the physical form of khukuri in different cultures of Nepal and khukuri is also considered as a revered object.
Kukhuri is also mentioned in the mantra of awakening the khando. These perceptions are somehow similar to those found in other ethnic cultures of the glacier. Kukhuri has been used not only by Sunuwar, Rai, Limbu, Gurung, Magar and other castes but also by Brahmins.
Historians say that kukhuri was introduced even before the unification of Nepal by the nation builder Prithvinarayan Shah. The khukuri placed on the waist of Ganesh Pandey, who helped Dravya Shah of the Shah dynasty to ascend the throne of Gorkha, also confirms this. It is mentioned in the history that our heroic ancestors used kukhuri while extending the border of Nepal from Tista to Sutlej. Therefore, the importance of kukhuri is emotionally linked with the history and culture of Nepal.
Nepalis believe that Kukhuri is the abode of the total deity. There is also a legend that these deities live only as long as they are holy. That is why Nepalis believe that kukhuri should never be abused. It is also believed that before buying a new kukhuri and bringing it into vogue, one should dedicate oneself to the deity and offer worship and offerings. Similarly, the elders say that they should not allow their kukhuri to be touched by anyone outside their caste.
The elders say that if the kukhuri is taken out of the dab unknowingly, the guilt should be removed by hitting the kukhuri on the wood or on the floor or on the ground.
Nepali belief:
Nepalis say that khukuri should never be rejected. If you inadvertently touch a kukhuri, the book should be bowed as if it were touched. Similarly, khukuri should not be kept in a dirty place. It is believed that the kukhuri should be taken out of the heat and bowed before being used for ordinary work and when it is used for big work, worship or bhog should also be offered.It is said that kukhuri should not be worn on the skin before being used in temples of gods and goddesses. If you have to go to a temple or other holy place because of the skin, you should keep it outside and not enter it.
The format is always the same. Small or large, thick or thin, less wide or more wide, it looks the same. Kukhuri consists of bind, taal, dharso, dhar and kaudi. The bind should be folded. The bundle should be made of a single piece of wood, ivory or horn. The crossbar should not be pierced. According to khukuri experts, the practice of screwing the band across the lower part of the kukhuri to strengthen it is wrong and unconventional. Khukuri lake should be wide and slightly hollow.
There must be two or three stripes in the kukhuri dadalno and those stripes must be drawn from the bottom to the side of the band. The edge must be placed from the tip of the kukhuri to the shell, and there must be a three-pronged shell between the edge and the band.
Traditional beliefs:
In the Sunuwar community living in the eastern part of Nepal, the kukhuri is considered a weapon placed in front of the Gorakhnath cave. As it is associated with the context of Gorakhnath, its history is considered to be as old as Gorkha.
The antiquity of Ganesh Pandey, who played an important role in making Dravya Shah the king of Gorkha, is confirmed by the fact that the heroes of Nepal Unification, Prithvinarayan Shah, Kazi Kalu Pandey, Kazi Tularam Pandey, Kapardar Bhotu Pandey and others had kukhuri with dap on their waists.
It is also a symbol of heroism on the backs of the country’s soldiers and the police and the general public. Not only that, it has got a respectable place in the insignia, batches and badges of soldiers and police.
Similarly, khukuri has been given priority in arms worship. Kukhuri is used in all festivals, big and small, and it is also ritually worshiped. Even in the Ghatsthapana of Dashain, kukhuri is removed from the dap and established methodically.
Kukhuri known to the world: Kukhuri has made his heroism known to the world through his strength. Renowned Indian security expert Field Marshal Ram Maneksha once said, “If a person is not afraid of death, he must be lying, or he must be a Gurkha.”
In fact, Gorkhali and Khukuri are complementary. The story and glory of Kukhuri is world famous. As Shri 3 Padmashamsher said, khukuri is not only a national symbol of Nepal but also a religious weapon. So its importance is very big. Kukhuri has been used by Nepalis since before the 1914 Nepal-British War. Khukuri, which is more than 500 years old, is kept in the National Museum in Kathmandu.
There is also a khukuri used by Dravya Shah, the first king of Gorkha, which was used before 1627. Although the history of khukuri shows that our ancestors used khukuri hundreds of years before the independence of the United States, no definite date has been found as to when it was first used. Studying its antiquity, it is found that Kiranti kings used khukuri for the first time.
In the 7th century, the Licchavis ruled Nepal and then Kirantis ruled Nepal for 29 generations. Historians say that Kiranti kings ruled Nepal during the Mahabharata period. Therefore, the history of Khukuri is as old as the history of Mahabharata.
Where there is Gorkhali, there is Khukuri:
Where there is Gorkhali, there is Khukuri, where there is Khukuri, there is Gorkhali. Rishi Kumar Pandey also proudly says that he has made Khukuri his friend since he was in school.
He used to make khukuri an integral part of his studies and training in different places. He did not forget to take khukuri to Darjeeling, Dehradun, Pune, Mhao and other places.
Pandey says:
The responsibility of the peacekeepers deployed on the Indo-Pak border was very important. While living there, I had to be alert. I had to go for inspection in the forward area. One day I was ordered to stay on standby. In my office, sometimes 5 telephones rang at once.
After receiving the order from Delhi, I did not sleep till 3 o’clock in the morning. I went to bed at 3 o’clock after ordering an officer assigned as a Milbus to receive the telephone. Even when I was sleeping, I used to sleep with a khukuri under my head. The telephone rang but he didn’t pick me up.
During breakfast the next morning, he explained everything about the night’s events. A message came from Delhi around 5 in the morning and he went to pick me up. He was frightened when he saw my hand under the pillow and next to the khukuri. He told me – ‘You were fast asleep.
Having a hand next to the kukhuri, I did not dare to wake you up. I tried to wake you up with a ballast from a distance but you didn’t wake up. I was thinking that I should apologize in the morning and tell everything. I’m sorry for the inconvenience. I did not dare to pick you up even when an urgent message came. ‘
This shows the attitude of foreigners towards the kukhuri carried by Nepalis.
Foreigners may have become more sensitive to kukhuri because they have heard many legends about kukhuri with Nepalis.
Pandey says:
Khukuri has been like my friend since childhood. I used to take kukhuri with me wherever I went. Whether living in a dormitory or traveling by train, or anywhere in the Indo-Pak border area, kukhuri would not leave with me. Even when I was living in Jaisalmer, I was carrying a khukuri.
There I presented a khukuri to the commander of the union, General Vacdonald. A few days after receiving the gift, he wrote me a letter thanking me for it. The letter said, “I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for giving me a beautiful kukhuri when I went to the desert.” It will be a very interesting sign in my life. It will help to remember Nepal and Nepal’s military officers.
I plan to decorate it with a silver frame. If you suggest me how to keep khukuri for many years, I will follow it.
While working in the union, many of my friends kept asking me about Nepal’s national weapon, the khukuri. Even while studying in Darjeeling, my friends used to ask me about khukuri. So I studied a lot about khukuri. So I got to know a lot of interesting things.
When my friends asked me about khukuri, I used to say that the world also knows khukuri through Nepali and Gorkhali. If we look at its cultural history, this weapon is found to be world famous. We Nepalis are certainly blessed to call this prestigious weapon a Nepali weapon.
