History and background
Kirati communities have lived in the hill regions of eastern Nepal for a long time. Some traditional stories and popular histories link an early "Kirat dynasty" to ruling parts of the Kathmandu Valley in ancient times, before the valley's later Licchavi and Malla periods. But the historical details of this period are not as certain as later, better-documented times in Nepali history. This should be read as part of Kirati memory and tradition, not as a fully settled timeline agreed on by all scholars.
In the 1900s, Kirat traditions went through big changes. In the early part of the century, a reform movement linked to the teacher Phalgunanda mixed traditional Kirati belief with parts of Hindu practice. Among Limbu communities, this movement is sometimes called Satya Hangma ("true faith"). Later in the century, as ethnic and indigenous political movements grew in Nepal, Kirati communities more and more spoke of Kirat as its own separate religion. This led to its official recognition as a census category in 1991, separate from Hinduism — a status that continues today.
Beliefs
Kirat belief centers on respect for nature — the sun, moon, wind, rivers, forests, and other natural forces and landmarks. It also includes ancestor worship and respect for household and village spirits. Different Kirati communities describe the divine in somewhat different ways. Rai tradition generally honors Sumnima and Paruhang as important divine figures, often linked to earth and sky. Limbu tradition honors Tagera Ningwaphumang. Because Kirat is made up of several related but separate community traditions, and not one shared belief system, this article does not treat any single community's beliefs as speaking for all of Kirat.
Ideas about life after death, and the ongoing presence of ancestors, matter across Kirati traditions. Shamans or priests are usually seen as the link between the community and the spirit world. This is especially true during big life events and seasonal rituals.
Practices and rituals
Community priests or shamans usually lead Kirat rituals. Their title changes by community — Nakchhong among the Rai, and Phedangba or Samba among the Limbu, for example, with other titles used elsewhere. Rituals mark big life events — birth, marriage, and death — and the farming calendar. They are traditionally held at natural sites or simple altars, not large temple buildings. This shows the tradition's focus on nature over built religious structures. Major Kirati festivals include Sakela (also called Ubhauli and Udhauli among Rai communities, marking planting and harvest seasons) and Chasok Tangnam, observed by Limbu communities.
The Mundhum
The main body of Kirat oral teaching is usually called the Mundhum. But the word — and its exact form — changes by community and language. For example: Muddum among the Mewahang, Mintum among the Yakkha, Mukdum among the Sunuwar, and Ridum among the Kulung. The Mundhum works as religious scripture, community law, and community history, all at once. Priests and shamans recite it during rituals. It keeps alive the customs, myths, and guidance that each Kirati community uses to run its religious and social life. Because it is an oral tradition and not one fixed text, the Mundhum has traditionally been passed down through memory and performance, not through one standard written book. In recent decades, though, more people have worked to record and publish versions of it.
Ethics and relationship with nature
Kirat moral life focuses on having the right relationship with nature, ancestors, and community — not on a written list of commandments. Common themes across Kirati traditions include respect for natural resources, right conduct in farming and hunting, care for elders and ancestors, and meeting one's duties to the community. These are passed down through the Mundhum, and through the example and teaching of community elders and priests — not through one written code of ethics.
Festivals and the seasonal cycle
The most widely shared Kirat festivals follow the farming cycle. Different communities use different names for them, but they fall at the same two points in the year. Ubhauli happens on the full moon of the Nepali month of Baishakh (April–May). It marks planting season and the seasonal move to higher ground. Udhauli happens on the full moon of Mangsir (November–December). It marks harvest time and the move back down to lower ground. Both festivals give thanks to nature and ancestors. By tradition, the newly harvested crop must be offered first, before anyone eats it.
Rai communities call this festival cycle Sakela (or Sakewa, Sakenwa, and other names, depending on the sub-community and dialect). It is marked by a group circle dance called Sakela Sili. Limbu communities call it Chasok Tangnam, when the first harvest is offered to the deity Yuma Sammang. Yakkha communities call it Chasuwa (or Chauwa). Sunuwar communities call it Folsyandar (or Syandar). Nepal's government has made several of these into official holidays.
Kirat in Nepal today
Kirat is followed mainly by Kirati ethnic communities in the hill regions of eastern Nepal. Related communities also live elsewhere in the Himalayan region, including parts of Darjeeling and Sikkim in India. Since its official recognition as its own census category in 1991, Kirat has become a more visible marker of ethnic and religious identity for many Kirati people in Nepal. This is linked to wider indigenous (Janajati) political and cultural movements. This article will grow with more detail on individual Kirati communities' traditions, once we have checked facts to add.