The Buddha is a Kirati-Mongolian Prince.

The word Kirati seems to demand some explanation: although the term is generally understood to mean only the Khambu-Rai, Limbu-Yakthumba, Dewan-Rai, Sunuwar and Lapche (now spelt as Lepcha)-Rong-pa who inhabit Eastern Nepal, it is meant to include all the Mongolian people who dwell in the southern slopes of the Himalayas. The endemic population of the region further beyond geographical boundary of Nepal eastwards include Koche, Meche, Kachari and Bodo tribes who identify themselves as Kiratis. Although, it may not be a politically correct claim right now but their physiognomy can not lie, all of them look one hundred percent Mongolians and I have used the term Kirati-Mongolians, to distinguish them all from Mongolians elsewhere.

And hence, Newar, Magar, Gurung, Tamang, Sherpa and Sakya are all ethnic Kirati-Mongolians.

It is a universally acknowledged fact the Kirati-Mongolians place no restriction in inter-racial marriage, neither with the Tibetans from the North nor Indo-Saracenic race from the South. The outcome of such union is very distinctly visible in Nepal today. Of particular interest however, is the subject of arrival of Brahmins in Nepal which I intend to discuss in my subsequent blog.

This is where we branch off to read a sacred book of the Buddhists Swayambhu Puran, which is written in Sanskrit, considered by scholars to have been written more than two thousand years ago, which reads: "bande'ham tattwarupam tatabhitatabhawam bhabyahabhya swabhawam....." etc etc. This is how according to the sacred book The Sage of the Sakyas, The Enlightened One paid homage to Swayambhunath after he circumambulated the temple thrice. The ruling monarch of the land according to Swayambhu Puran, was Jite Dasti, the King of the Kiratis and this name as well as this incident are found recorded in the Kirati Bungsawali.

I have quoted the sacred book of the Buddhist to emphasise the aspect of The Buddha's visit to Kathmandu Valley: that the Sage of the Sakyas was aware of the concurrent practice of paying homage to the Temple of Swayambhunath. This incident reinforces the belief that as a Kirati-Mongolian Prince, Siddhartha Gout'm was familiar with contemporary custom and tradition of his people.

Two centuries later, following the footsteps of the Enlightened One, his disciple King Ashok arrived in Kathmandu, which is also found recorded in the Swayambhu Puran. The Puran makes a positive mention of King Sthunko, to be the King of Kiratdom of Kathmandu during the Ashokan visit which is also corroborated by the Kirati Bungsawali.

Kiratdom of Kathmandu

All went well as the Kiratis began their pastoral life in the Valley of Kathmandu. They prospered during the peaceful reign of Yellung Hang and their "deota" was Paru Hang, the Lord of Paru. The Kiratis knew of the mythical land called Paru, tucked high in the Himal-Chuli where one could reach after crossing one mountain range after another snow clad mountain until one day when the fog lifted, they could behold the blissful eternal land of Paru. In this mythical land Paru resided their nameless deota, known simply as Paru Hang.

This divine land of Paru of Kirati legend is what that gave impetus to the western writers who got it transformed into Shangri-La vividly romanticised by the over simulated imagination.

Paru Hang was not a distant God, but shared the daily pace of the Kiratis' life, often appearing in the guise of a Kirati hunter, dressed in a single wrap-around of tiger or panther-skin and armed with bow and arrows and a trident. Centuries later, when Paru Hang was brahminised and given the new name of Mahadeo or Siwa or Shankar, they retained not only his attire and look of a Kirati huntsman but also his skin colour; he appears fair among dark skinned Hindu divinities.

Some two thousand six hundred years ago, a Kirati Prince, named Siddhartha Gout'm became The Buddha, or The Enlightened One, and began preaching his doctrine of Four Noble Truths. The Buddha chose to convey his message of Nirwan to his Family and the Kiratis of Kathmandu first before beginning his Universal Teaching.

The Buddha arrived at Kathmandu according to Swayambhu Puran during the reign of Kirati King Jite Dasti and offered worship to Swayambhunath, the Primordial Buddha. This is an historical tradition visible till todate as Hangpa Jite Dasti is known to have decreed that his people retain the freedom to continue to worship Paru Hang while following the Four Noble Truths. Ever since, the Kiratis have worshipped the Buddha and Paru Hang together as are seen everywhere in the temples of Kathmandu.

We Kiratis are true to that culture established two thousand and six hundred years ago by our noble King Jite Dasti.