Khukuri House

Gurkha VCs
The word ‘Gurkha” is derived from Gorkha, a small town in Nepal that lies ninety kilometers
north of Kathmandu valley, on the way to Pokhara . Gurkhas are native people mainly from
mid-western and eastern Nepal. They represent nearly all the ethinic groups of Nepal even
though Magars, Rais, Gurungs and Tamangs form a majority within the ranks. Gurkhas are
famous for their courage, loyalty, neutrality and impartiality. A Gurkha soldier is more than a
mere warrior and embraces the traits of simplistic humanity without a fuss.
VC (Victoria Cross), the UK's highest award, is the most honored,
prestigious award and the senior most decoration for valor and heroism in
the line of duty awarded by the British Government. Twenty-Six Victoria
Crosses have been won by Gurkha Regiments so far among which Nepali
Gurkhas have won thirteen Victoria Crosses.
A face contorted with determination and intensity, a warrior honorable, brave, loyal and
astute. He is a symbol of these qualities in
war and peace. His ferocity is as legendary
as his loyalty to the British Monarch and
his regimental history is packed with acts of
incredible bravery and sacrifice. The love of
his mountainous homeland and his family is
profound and keeps luring him back after the
call of duty. He is the indomitable Gurkha
soldier and a legend in his own right.
Approximately 200 kilometers from Kathmandu lies the valley of Pokhara surrounded by
the mighty Annapurna range. The recruitment of the Gurkhas from the surrounding villages
is concentrated in this region. This is the home of the Gurkhas. A landscape that makes the
Gurkhas what they are.
The formation of the Gurkha Army, started long before the “Treaty of Sugauli” signed by
Nepal, India and Britain. They were initially recognized as the “Local Battalion” or “Native
Army” and were deployed to numerous fronts and successfully assisted the British achieved
their military objectives. Gurkhas along with British have fought countless wars, campaigns,
battles including the Great War (World War I) and World War II and in many post-world
war fronts where Gurkhas have
shown their outstanding bravery,
courage and spirit to fight till death
under the harshest of conditions.
More than 200 thousand fought
in WW I and more than quarter
a million in WW II with more
than 45 thousand killed or injured
in both wars. Gurkhas continues
to serve the British with the same
passion, attitude and faith and their
courage, loyalty and ability as an honorable and a fearsome soldier of the world has never
been questioned and presumably will never be. This highly commendable support from the
Gurkhas strengthened the bond of friendship and loyalty in between Britain and Nepal and
both have been the closest of friends and allies since then.
Join Us on
VISIT US AT
Gurkhas Info
www.thekhukurihouse.com
www.khukurihouseonline.com
www.gurkhas-kukris.com
www.khukrimuseum.com
www.tradeblades.com
Below are the Gurkha VC holders with whose bravery, gallantry and loyalty have recognized
Gurkhas as the most formidable soldiers along with the year and the place where they were
honored by the VC.
S.N
Name
Regiment
Year
Place
1
Kulbir Thapa
3rd Queen Alexandra’s Own Gurkha Rifles
1915
Fauquissart, France
2
Karan Bahadur Rana
3rd Queen Alexandra’s Own Gurkha Rifles
1918
El Kefr, Egypt
3
Lal Bahadur Thapa
2nd King Edward VII’s Own Gurkha Rifles
1943
Rass-es-Zouai, Tunisia
4
Gaje Ghale
5th Royal Gurkha Rifles
1943
Chin Hills, Burma
5
Tul Bahadur Pun
6th Gurkha Rifles
1944
Mogaung, Burma
6
Agamsing Rai
5th Royal Gurkha Rifles
1944
Bishenpur, Burma
7
Ganju Lama
7th Duke of Edinburgh’s Own Gurkha Rifles
1944
Ningthoukhong, Burma
8
Thaman Gurung
5th Royal Gurkha Rifles
1944
Monte San Bartolo, Italy
9
Netra Bahadur Thapa
5th Royal Gurkha Rifles
1944
Bishenpur, Burma
10
Sher Bahadur Thapa
9th Gurkha Rifles
1944
San Marino, Italy
11
Bhanbhagta Gurung
2 King Edward VII’s Own Gurkha Rifles
1945
Snowdon East, Tamandu, Burma
12
Lachiman Gurung
8th Gurkha Rifles
1945
Taungdaw, Burma
13
Ram Bahadur Limbu
10th Princess Mary’s Own Gurkha Rifles
1965
Sarawak, Borneo
nd
ESTD . 1991
khukuri
House
HANDICRAFT
INDUSTRY
Real Blades Since 1991
KHHI
Presents
Khukuri & Gurkhas Info
Brigade of the Gurkhas (present)
The Brigade of Gurkhas is the collective term for units of the current British Army that are
composed of Nepalese soldiers. The brigade includes infantry, engineer, signal, logistic and
training and support units.
The major units of the Brigade today are The Royal Gurkha Rifles (two battalions), The
Queen's Gurkha Engineers, Queen's Gurkha Signals, and The Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic
Regiment.
The Royal Gurkha Rifles (Two Battalions i.e. 1RGR & 2 RGR)
Queen’s Gurkha Engineers (QGE)
Queen’s Gurkha Signal (QGS)
The Queen’s Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment (QOGLR)
Singapore Police Force Gurkha Contingent (SPFGC)
The Gurkha Contingent (GC) of the Singapore Police Force was formed on 9th April 1949.
It is an integral part of the Police Force and is well trained, dedicated and disciplined body
whose principal role is as a special guard force. The history of the Gurkha Contingent is
intrinsically linked to the formative years of Singapore when it was called upon many
times to help restore law and order on the streets. After Singapore gain independence from
the British, GC played a crucial role in controlling riots and violence amongst the ethnic
groups that threatened the very existence of the new born country. Thus, being more than
perfect and suited for the job, GC was integrated to the national security force of the country
forming “Singapore Police Force Gurkha Contingent” or “SPFGC”.
“Bravest of the brave, most generous of the generous,
Never had country more faithful friends than you.”
-Professor Sir Ralph Turner MC on the legandary Gurkhas
The objective of this leaflet is to give brief information on the “Khukuri”
and “Gurkhas” to all customers of KHHI. The leaflet tells about the origin,
aspects, significance, utilities etc of the celebrated KUKRI and similarly;
formation, history, decoration, importance, division etc of the legendary
GURKHAS. We sincerely hope you’d find it useful and enjoyable.
Kukri Info
Khukuri Notch
Khukuri, a mid-length curved knife comprising a distinctive “Cho” is the national knife and
icon of Nepal. A formidable and effective weapon of the Gurkhas and an exquisite piece
of local craftsmanship that represents the country and its culture and also symbolizes pride
and valor. There are two names for this knife that are now universally accepted, “Khukuri”
or “Kukri. “Khukuri” is the strict Nepalese version that is very common, famous and
household name in Nepalese literature. However Khukuri is more known as “Kukri” in the
western world and beyond which we see is an anglicized version of the British when they first
discovered the knife.
The most appealing and distinctive part of the
khukuri is the notch or “Cho” that separates
a khukuri from the rest of the world’s knives.
Practically the notch works as a blood dipper to
prevent the blood or fluid from going towards
the handle so that firm grip can be maintained
throughout the execution and also as a stopper
to stop Chakmak (sharpener) from reaching
the handle area when sharpening while running
down the edge of the khukuri blade. Similarly the
notch also has religious significance as it signifies
the Hindu fertility symbol (OM) and represents
the sacred cow’s hoof (as cow is worshipped in
Nepal).It is also believed to have been developed
as a device for catching and neutralizing an enemy
blade in close combat.
Some of the famous knives of the world such as the Bowie Knife, the Stiletto, the Scimitar,
the Roman Sword, the Machete and so on have all, at one time or the other, played great
historical roles as formidable weapons with men have demonstrated raw power and courage
during times of battle. The kukri, however, outdoes them all!
The construction of khukuri is very
basic and simple yet it has style and class of its
own. In Nepal, people still use very traditional
and primitive method and conventional tools
to make it. In early Nepal, most villages would
have a metal smith famously known as “Kamis”
who forged khukuris to their best ability. The
khukuri blades have always varied much in
quality. Inferior and high quality steels both
have been equally used thus needs an expert
eye and skill to distinguish one from the other.
Old heavy vehicles spring (suspension) steel has
always been the source of a good quality khukuri
blade.
Khukuri grips are normally made from local walnut wood called “Sattisaal” in Nepalese,
domestic water buffalo horn and some very fancy from brass, aluminum; and even ivory
and rhino horn are used for some very special ones. Basically two types of tang are applied;
one is the rat-tail tang that goes all the
way through the handle narrowing its
surface area as it finishes towards the
end of the handle and its end/tail is
penned over and secured. The other is
the full flat tang that also goes through
the handle but the tang can be seen
on the sides of the handle and steel
rivets are fixed to secure the handle
to the tang.The khukuri is carried in
scabbard, “Dap” in Nepalese, where
normally 2 pieces of wooden frames
are covered with water buffalo hide or
other domestic animal parts and may
or may not have brass or steel protective chap depending on the type of khukuri.
Shapes and sizes of khukuris from ancient
to modern ones have varied intensely from
place to place, person to person, maker
to maker and so forth. Only the standard
army issue were and are made of the same
dimension and measurement in order to
bring uniformity and tidiness to the unit;
whereas local khukuris still continue to
vary from one another making it impossible
to characterize or distinguish a particular
khukuri from the rest.
Origin of the Kukri
None of us precisely know the fact as to how kukri originated or who initiated it. The original
place and date have also lost in the midst of time. Even the spelling has been disputed or
butchered (Kukri, Khukuri, Kukuri, Khukri, Kookuri etc) since someone first tried to
describe this knife.
There are many beliefs and suggestions as to how the kukri came
into existence. Amongst them, one of the most convincing and
compelling is the Kopi’s version. Origin of the kukri has been
unswervingly linked to the classic Greek sword or knife known as
“ kopis”, which is about 2500 years old. The shape and style of
the knife strikingly resembles the kukri (see picture). This claims
that Kopis may well have been the direct ancestor of the kukri
that we know today.
Some have also suggested that the “Machira or Machaira”, the cavalry sword of the ancient
Macedonians that was carried by
Alexander's soldiers when they invaded
northwest India in the 4th century BC,
closely resembels kukri. The sword was later copied by local black smiths or
Kamis and perhaps further improvised or
changed to better suit their need and demand. The Machira was also molded on practical and
religious ground by different makers which later turn out to be a kukri.
Some also believe that kukri originated from a form of knife first used by the Mallas who
came to power in Nepal in the 13th Century.
There are many kukris still displayed in the
National Museum at Chhauni in Kathmandu
which prove this statement. The knives
possessed by the Mallas are very similar to that of
the today’s kukris. Similarly, some claim that the
kukri was first used by Kiratis who ruled Nepal
before Lichchhavi age, in about 7th Century.
Present days’ kukris shape could well have been
descended from the ancient Kiratis’ knives as
well. Other knife exports have also found the
similarities in the construction of some kukris to the crafting method of the very old Japanese
sword. It could have derived from the sword too. However, it is also possible that the kukri is
simply a design native to the hills of the Himalayas, perhaps originating from an agricultural
tool (as which it continues to serve to the present day).
Khukuri Utilities
“A Khukuri is much more than just a Knife”
Cutting Tool
Used for domestic purposes, for kitchen use, for gardening, backyard clearance, household
work, in and around living area; a basic cutting tool.
Outdoor
For jungle use as a machete, during safaris, trekking, camping out in the woods, hunting,
fishing, cutting and clearing bushes, branches/small trees, forestry activities, also used as
hammer, digger etc, basically a survival tool.
Military
For parade (Kukri drill), on duty or guard, training, exercises, warfare, combat, close counter
fighting, army ritual ceremony, presentation (when an officer retires, he is given a special
“Kothimora” sliver Kukri to mark his loyal service and duty), regimental insignia and distinction.
Religious and Cultural
For beheading domestic animals during festivals (mainly Dashain), to perform ritual
ceremonies (which requires slaughtering for example; vehicles opening), during marriage
ceremonies (bridegroom with his traditional marriage dress), royal ceremonies (in the absence
of the king, his kukri will represent him), special ritual occasions (particularly which requires
blood and blessings), Poojas. Also in castes like Rai, Magar and Gurung’s tradition, a kukri
is buried along with the dead with a belief that by doing so it would destroy all his demons
and sins. In remote villages there is a practice of presenting kukri to a grown lad to mark his
manhood and maturity.
Presentation, Display and Collection
As gifts (to honor or thank someone in a special way), for decoration (to decor or adorn ones
place, a special way to enhance the beauty and ambient), Collector’s pride and preference,
unique souvenir and memento, prizes and cup, owner’s prize possession, business promotion
and awards.
Myths and Beliefs
The famous legendary story goes- every time a Gurkha draws his weapon out, if he was
unable to find his enemy’s blood then he had to put his own, other story also goes- long
time ago it was believed that Kukri was also used as boomerang; means; it was thrown
towards the enemy, beheaded him and swung back to the user’s hand; kept under
pillow to prevent bad dreams and nightmares, in villages and rural areas carrying kukri
symbolizes manhood for boys, to keep away satins, ghosts and black magic, to safe guard
and protect a family spiritually and religiously. As well, a very popular saying in Nepalese
as “Kukri Bhanda Karda Lagne”, sarcastic meaning “To be over smart than his/hers elders”
Pride and Honor
National icon, national weapon, national souvernity, symbols/monograms for many
Nepalese Government departments and branches (army, police, security, forestry, scouts
etc), representing Nepal internationally and worldwide, naming local products after “Kukri”
(Khukuri Rum, Khukuri Choorot/cigarette etc), unique national memento and souvenir,
honest and powerful recognition, trademark for security forces at war and peace, a precious
gift used at the highest official level.
Ornaments and Wealth
Precious and valuable ornaments (to adorn oneself with special curio type replica kukris), to
show one’s status and size (gold and silver Kukris at home, office etc), history shows kings,
ministers, generals etc displaying big expensive kukris to demonstrate power, money and
pride