According to Kirat Mundhum, since the creation of the earth and the universe, which includes all living beings, air, water, trees, and forests, Kirat religion has been considered an eternal religion by the Kirat people. The main characteristics of this religion today are simplicity, equality between caste, gender, and tolerance towards other religions, along with the worship of nature through shamans and Mundhum practices. In ancient times, these qualities were also embraced by other major world religions. However, with the change of eras, especially among various religious followers, there emerged claims of supernatural powers that could prove the other’s religion false, attracting the general public by promising to fulfill powerful desires and offering an easy path to heaven, moksha, or liberation. Such claims made the primitive simple religious practices unbelievable and complicated.
These religious competitions led to magical religious institutions that, despite significant political differences among the people, were occasionally brought together, forgetting all internal conflicts in the name of religious protection. However, Kirat religion did not have the opportunity to develop into a permanent institution that would honor and support spiritual scholars. In the mythical era, the Kirat people faced successive defeats. If we refer to the historical period, the Kirat rulers were driven out from areas like Sangha Bhanjyang in the Kathmandu valley (formerly known as Yalokhom) by the Vaishnavite Lichchhavis at the beginning of the Christian era. Therefore, from around two thousand years ago, they had been struggling in a foreign religious and political oppression. Despite these turbulent times, the Kirat people have managed to preserve their religion, culture, and language in its primitive form. This is a significant achievement.
Today, the Kirat people are conscious of their ethnic identity, which could have disappeared like the Lichchhavis, who uprooted the ancient Kirat dynasty. After the restoration of constitutional monarchy and multi-party democracy, they have become determined to search for, revive, and protect their religion, culture, language, and script. A vivid example of this is seen in the recent census data, which shows that, after a long gap, they have begun to return to their original Kirat religion.
In the previous 2048 (1991) census form, although the names of religions prevalent in Nepal were listed, the name of the Kirat religion was not included. However, in the section for “Other Religion” on the form, 318,389 people, which is 1.7% of the total population of 10,491,097, spontaneously wrote their religion as “Kirati.” While the total population of Rai, Limbu, and Sunuwar communities, who are considered Kirat followers, was 863,680, or 4.6% of the total population, only 37% of this group declared their religion as “Kirati,” marking the auspicious beginning of the Kirat religious census statistics.
The summary results of the 10th National Census of 2058 (2001) were recently published by the Central Bureau of Statistics on 2059.1.4 (January 4, 2003). According to the census, the annual population growth rate in this decade has increased by 2.24%, reaching a total of 23,151,423 (including an estimated number of 414,089 who were not counted). The census includes data on occupation, caste, language, and other aspects, with the percentage breakdown as follows: Hindu 80.62%, Buddhist 10.74%, Islam 4.20%, Kirat 3.60%, Jain 0.02%, Christian 0.45%, Sikh 0.03%, Bahá’í 0.01%, and others 0.35%.
From this, the Kirat population is 3.60%, which translates to approximately 833,000 people. This reveals the mystery that, just as in the previous census, not everyone in the Kirat community listed their religion as Kirat. However, compared to the previous census, where only 1.7% identified as Kirat, the percentage has significantly increased by 112%, reaching 3.60% in the current census, showing that the total population of Kirat religion is now 818,106 out of a total population of 22,736,934.
This significant increase in the number of Kirat adherents is a positive development, although the idea that “not all Kirat people are Kirat religious” still persists. The population growth rate of 2.24% over the decade implies that the number of Kirat followers could easily exceed 1,057,000. This fact will be confirmed with the publication of future census data categorized by caste and mother tongue, which will show a clear trend towards an even greater number of Kirat followers.
This increase is a direct result of the efforts of independent Kirat intellectuals and organizations like Kirat Rai Yayokha, Kirat Yakthung Chumlung, Sunuwar Seva Samaj, and others. These groups played a significant role in persuading the government to include “Kirat Dharma” in the census form and helped people from remote, hilly Kirat villages understand how to register their religion. Their tireless efforts to preserve and promote the culture and identity of the Kirat people have made a remarkable contribution to this achievement.
This increase in the number of Kirat followers from 1.7% to 3.6% is a historic milestone and a significant record. It is a cause for celebration, and all Kirat adherents deserve congratulations for this achievement. May this accomplishment in the early years of the new millennium serve as a successful foundation for the future progress of the Kirat community, and I offer my heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to all followers of Kirat Dharma.
