KOIRALA, BISWESWAR PRASAD(1916- 1983 )

Top ranking politician cum littérateur, a short story writer and a novelist of Nepali language, he is a pioneer politician as well an architect of modern Nepal. He was the prime minister of the Government of Nepal under the parliamentary system of government in 1959. He had been imprisoned many times during his lifetime struggle for freedom and democracy,  the longest prison term at a stretch being a period of eight years during Panchayat regime days. He was one of the main architects of the revolution of 1950. Traveled far and wide, he underwent many ups and downs in his political career of more than 40 years. His noted works include  Doshi Chasma, a story collection, a series of autobiographic books, and novels like Teen Ghumti, Sumnima, Modi Aain, Narendra Dai, and so on. Most of his works have been written while he was in jail during different periods both in the Rana regime as well as the Panchayat regime.

KIRTIPUR

Situated on the top of a plateau-shaped ridge, now a part of Kathmandu district, Kiripur is a typical old township of Nepal with its own history, a separate city-state till little more than two hundred years before when Prithibi Narayan Shah conquered Kathmandu valley states and unified the present state of Nepal. History says that it was a hard time for Prithibi Narayan Shah to conquer that small place and had to attack seven times after he had taken all three important city-states of Kathmandu valley. Inhabited by Newars, that region is still a specimen of traditional cultivation, other farming, and indigenous industries like weaving, wood carving, making goods out of straw, etc. Several temples and religious shrines are often visited by devotees from far and wide. 

KIRATI

Karati is a race of historic people. They have time and again, especially in ancient Nepal, played very important roles in the history of Nepal. The Kathmandu valley itself was sometimes ruled over by them. Rai and Limbu are the prominent tribes of the Kirati race. 

KIRAT PERIOD (800 BC - 300 AD)

Very little is known about this period in the history of Nepal. The Kirats ruled for about 1000 years and were ruled by a total of 28 kings during that time. The first and best remembered king was Yalambar. Legend credits him with meeting Indra, the lord of heaven, who ventured into the Valley in human guise. He had the dubious honor of being slain in the epic battle of the Mahabharata, in which gods and mortals fought alongside each other.

Another remarkable event during this period is the coming of Gautam Buddha in the time of the seventh king. The Buddha supposedly spent time in Patan, where he elevated the blacksmith caste to goldsmiths and bestowed upon them the name of his own clan, Sakya.

The great emperor of India, Ashoka, was also a visitor to Kathmandu in this period. As a follower of Buddhism, Ashoka visited Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha, and erected stupas in Kathmandu. His daughter married a local prince and further spread the religion. As the Kirat dynasty came to an end in the valley, parts still remained in the eastern mountains where they are considered to be the forefathers of today’s Rai and Limbu communities.

KHUMBU HIMAL

Crowned by Mt. Everest, the highest peak of the world, Khumbu Himal or Mahalangur Himal is the largest of the Himalayan ranges. It si bound by Barun river is the north, Dudh Kosi in the south, Rolwaling Himal in the west and Kumbhakarn Himal in the east. This Himalayan range is consisting of more than 3 dozen peaks above 22,000 ft. from sea level. Mt. Lhotse and Mt. Nuptse are also the important peaks of Khmbu Himal. See “Trek to Khumbu Region.” 

KHOTANG

This is a remote district of Sagarmatha zone. Khotang district is still unaccesible by vehicles. Airplanes and porters are the modes of transportation  of this district. Dictel is the headquarters of this district of mixed population and remarkable heritage of its own native cultures. On top of Sherpas and other high Himalayan ethnic groups of people, this district has strong foundations of Chhetris and Bahuns as well as other mid mountain tribes. 

Achyutam Keshavam Krishna Damodaram

KHADGA

It is a kind of Sword. Used and displayed in many different ways, it carries cultural and religious values in Nepales society.  It is also considered as a symbol of enlightenment, used to destroy ignorance, the enemy of liberating from the bonds of worldly attachments, hence of continuous misery. It is a special symbol of Manjushree, the god of wisdom. The sword in the hand of Manjushree is called the Prajna Khadga or the sword of wisdom which is believed to destroy the darkness of ignorance by the luminous rays issuing out of it. 

KAHTMANDU VALLEY

Kathmandu Valley encircled by tall mountains and consisting of three cities of historic interest, Kathmandu, the capital of the kingdom, Patan and Bhadgaon, when viewed from the air, is oval shaped. Kathmandu Valley, the focal point of the country is now-a-days inhabited by all group of people from all over the country, highest number being those of  Newar communities who are the native people of this valley. Endowed with people talented in various handicraft works, cultivation, architecture and trade, this valley is also very much favoured by nature. Surrounded by green mountains in all sides, one peep at a long range of snow peaks towards north behind green mountains. Though, kathmandu valley is trying to cope with modernity with its newly adopted various modern and scientific amenities, nature is still dominant indeed over them all in making this beautiful. 

KATHMANDU

Kathmandu is the capital city of Nepal. This metropolitan city is the biggest city of the country and one of the five municipal cities of Kathmandu valley. However, Kathmandu valley as a whole is also known as Kathmandu which includes the towns of Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Madhyapur, Kirtipur and several village development committees within Valley. Kathmandu valley the common name of the total area within the boundaries surrounded by tall mountains giving it a shape of a valley these days. Historically the whole valley used to be a lake before it was, according to the legends, cut at a point and the lake waters drained away by a Buddhist Saint Manjushree who hailed from China. See Kathmandu Valley, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Kasthamandap.