Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

sirupate · 2nd October 2009, 02:49 PM

The next day we flew out to Pokhara to meet JP Cross a famous British Gurkha Officer and author, who is the only foreigner to be granted his own land and property in Nepal, from the Royal Family, and Buddhiman Gurung a well respected cultral figure in Nepal, and who family can be traced back to Bhakti Thapa. I can't thank enough for their outstanding hospitality.
I showed them the pictures of the Nepalese tribes that I showed General Malla (a close friend of JP)

Again I asked about the spelling Kora/Khora, and they also said that that was incorrect, that it could be spelt both Khuda and khunda. Did they feel it was a Nepalese weapon, both felt that it could well have come into Nepal when the Rajputs came into the region from the Muslim invasion in India. JP also pointed out that in 10,000 miles of walking in Nepal and having been in 65 of the 75 districts, the khunda was not very prevalant. Also Lt. Col Prem Singh Basnyat the former curator of the Nepal army museum agrees with the theory of the khunda comming from the south.
I then noticed a sword on the wall of John's house, which belonged to one of Buddhims ancestors Mansingh Dhingal, which would make it about 500yrs old, it is unusual for the Nepalese to have specifically handed down family weapons, as opposed to khukuri or whatever that happened to belong to their Father, Grandfather etc that just happen to be in the house when they pass over, pic below;

John has some 30 plus khukuri on his wall, which interestingly he has had all of them chromed, as per the one below, this appears to have been a reasonably common practice, one below;

2nd October 2009, 02:49 PM	#5
sirupate Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: England Posts: 373	The next day we flew out to Pokhara to meet JP Cross a famous British Gurkha Officer and author, who is the only foreigner to be granted his own land and property in Nepal, from the Royal Family, and Buddhiman Gurung a well respected cultral figure in Nepal, and who family can be traced back to Bhakti Thapa. I can't thank enough for their outstanding hospitality. I showed them the pictures of the Nepalese tribes that I showed General Malla (a close friend of JP) Again I asked about the spelling Kora/Khora, and they also said that that was incorrect, that it could be spelt both Khuda and khunda. Did they feel it was a Nepalese weapon, both felt that it could well have come into Nepal when the Rajputs came into the region from the Muslim invasion in India. JP also pointed out that in 10,000 miles of walking in Nepal and having been in 65 of the 75 districts, the khunda was not very prevalant. Also Lt. Col Prem Singh Basnyat the former curator of the Nepal army museum agrees with the theory of the khunda comming from the south. I then noticed a sword on the wall of John's house, which belonged to one of Buddhims ancestors Mansingh Dhingal, which would make it about 500yrs old, it is unusual for the Nepalese to have specifically handed down family weapons, as opposed to khukuri or whatever that happened to belong to their Father, Grandfather etc that just happen to be in the house when they pass over, pic below; John has some 30 plus khukuri on his wall, which interestingly he has had all of them chromed, as per the one below, this appears to have been a reasonably common practice, one below;