INTRODUCTION
When the rifle misfires,or when the bullets have run out,a gurkha unsheathes his khuri makes his final"do or die"run on the enemy in a fury to finish the bussiness.
The khukuri,a semi-curved metal knife and the national as well as religious weapon of Nepal is the synonymous,symbolic of great gurkha soldiers.Each gurkha soldier carries it with him in uniform and in battle because it is a formidable razor sharp weapon and a cutting tool and the most functional knife in existance.Due to its distinctive shape,it is famous in worldwide.Some of the famous knives of the world such as the Bowie knife,the Stiletto,the Roman sword,the Machete ,etc had also played great historical roles in the past but the khukuri is only the weapon which did the best, making it one of the leading knife of the world.
We all are still in confusion that how and where the khukuri was exactly originated. The originated place and date have also been lost in the mists of time but It is said to be the oldest knife in the world because its shape is descended from the classical greek sword of kopis,and the calavry sword used by the troops of Alexander the Great in the 4th Century BC and later it was copied by kamis or blacksmith(now the professional worker of khukuri).Even the spelling has been disputed or butchered since someone first tried to described as;khookree,khookerie,khukerie,khukri,kukery,kukoori,and finally in the early 18th century it was heared in three syllables:kook-er-ee and has finally come down to today's accepted is khukuri or kukri.What ever may be the fact of how and when it was originated,it is now the reverted and effective weapon and the versatile working tool of every household.
The awesome cutting edge of the khukuri was first experienced by the British in India who had to face it in the well-documented battles since 1814 while combating the gorkha army in the western Nepal,which became an incredibly menacing weapon while facing the enemy in many battlefields.
Most of the khukuri includes two small knives attached at the back of the scabbard.One is said to be Karda which is for using while other Chakmak for sharping the original blade.In every blade one can found a small notch just near the handle,for the interruption of blood flow to the handle and to let it drip to the soil.
Although different gives different symbolism to it but the fact is that it is the bravery and valor of Nepal and is the best memento for one to buy from Nepal.
