The legend of Yellung Hang, according to Kirati Folklore goes like this:
Yellung Hang as has been alluded earlier, enjoyed a divine nature and would often walk in and out of Paru, at will. He was welcome in Paru and often times known to have been seen walking with Paru Hang around countryside. Yellung Hang was a good King, he was a benevolent man and would approach Paru Hang with problems of his people, the Kiratis, which he found to be too complicated to resolve himself. And, the Kiratis loved him.
The Kiratis were very fond of their King, Yellung Hang.
According to Kirati folklore, one day the Pancha-Kirat decided to install a statue of Yellung Hang so that they may never be left without their Hang. Although his absence from Kathmandu during his journeys to Paru was never unduly long, they feared their King may one day decide not to return to the mortal world at all. That is the reason the sculptor is known to have left the feet of the statue incomplete to prevent him from walking away from their midst.
re:Happy Yalambar Day
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To start how many people knows that the statue of King Yalambar was erected 16 years ago in Mudhe Bazaar in Sankhuwasabha district in Nepal. King Yalambar was the first king of Kiratdesh vis a vis Nepal.
Last year Kiratis started celebrating Yalambar Day in United Kingdom and HongKong respectively.
This year Nepalese all over the world and especially in our beloved Motherland Nepal is getting ready to welcome New Year and with it another great delightful festival that will add happiness and joy to every Nepalese wherever they might be. This great festival siri panchami or sukla panchami was so precious day for Kiranti people when the King Yalamber started the human civilization in the Kathmandu valley over 5000+ years ago. Altogether, there were 29 kings from the Kirat dynasty who ruled over Nepal for about 1225 years according to various historian and scholars. But according to Kirant bansawali(chronicle) there are 34 Kiranti kings in all.
Yele Sambat is Kiranti New Year and it used to be celebrated in the time of maghe siri panchami or sukla panchami by Kiranti people since time immemorial and considered this day as very lucky and prosperous for all those who celebrate this day. This Yele name came from King Yalamber, the first ruler of the Himalayas and Nepal who officially declared this day as New Year. This festival of Yele Sambat was banned by the former Rana-Shah rulers till 2002. But as of this year the New Constitution of Nepal has recognized Yele Sambat and declared it is the most integral part in Nepali history.
Bikram Sambat- Nepali Calendar is approximately 56 years and 8½ months ahead of the Gregorian calendar (Internationally accepted civil calendar or Western Calendar as better known). Bikram Sambat abbreviated "B.S." was established by Indian emperor Vikramaditya of Ujjain following his victory over the Sakas(ancient Iranian people of horse-riding nomadic pastoralists) in 56 BCE. The Nepalese New Year falls in the middle of April. Unlike Gregorian months, the lengths of Nepali months are not predetermined, and change from year to year, varying from 29 days to 32 days. Bikram Sambat Calendar is a popularly used calendar in India and the official calendar of Bangladesh and Nepal.
As of April 15, 2010, Nepal turned 2067 years old in regards to Bikram Sambat calendar. Right now the New Nepali Constitution is planning a draft to use Kirat's calendar (Yele Sambat) to commemorate Yalambar founding of human civilization in the Kathmandu valley. During the conference, senior historians Prof. Jagadish Chandra Regmi and Prof. Dineshraj Pant presented a paper regarding the use of Kirat Yele Sambat. With Nepali government formally recognizing Yele Sambat, Nepal turned 5070 as of Friday 15th Jan 2010. Every year Kiranti have been following their long traditional New Year which starts on the day of Nepali maghe sakranti which falls on 15th Jan.
With the recognition of Yele Sambat this makes Nepal as one of the oldest civilization in the world in par with other civilization such as ancient Mesopotamia, Chinese, Indus Valley, Greek, Egypt that are all more than 5000+ years old. It is therefore a great way to remember the first king of Nepal by observing "Yalambar Day". Nepalese in United Kingdom and Hong Kong as last year had started celebrating this festival once more again. Like the great festival of Tihar & Deusi Bhailo which is so popular among the Nepalese is accredited to Kirati King Balihang, "Yalambar Day" too will no doubt be great in time to come.
P.S this year Yalambar Day is on 14th of August following Yele Sambat.
Thank you, gurkharai, I commend your spirit and am hopefully looking forward to receiving more constructive writings added to it.
ReplyDeleteMy extensive research has led me to conclude that the Kiratis are pre-brahminic people and upon this finding rests our claim to the foundation of Kiratdom of Kathmandu. That Kirati Civilisation was highly sophisticated and that our culture of writings predates sanskrit. I have based the Kirati alphabets on the Pali script, left behind engraved by Ashok the Great (it is found appended in my book "Essentials of Kirati History".
Ashok the Great himself was a Kirati Prince, as was the Sage of the Sakyas. On his return from Kathmandu, he had got contructed the Great Stupa of Sanchi, which is modeled after Swayambhunath Temple (after centuries of neglect, the upper edifice has been lost to antiquity).
I entirely agree with you, when you say it was Kirati King Balim Hang who instituted the culture of 'deusi' and 'bhailo'.
Please advise me where I might find the picture of Yallamber Hang's statue.
Thanks, once again.