Liglig
Encyclopedia
Liglig, better known as "ligligkot" is a hill top located in the Amppipal
VDC Ward No. 4 Kholli of Gorkha
, Nepal
.
It is located at the height of 1437 meters (4790 feet) Mean sea level. Gorkha District has a long and intriguing history. It’s where a royal dynasty got its start and the famous Gurkha soldiers got their name. Located 80 kilometres (49.7 mi) due west of Kathmandu (140 kilometers by road). It is a place where the monarchy of Nepal
was established.
Drabya Shah, then brother of King Narbhupal Shah of neighboring Lamjung District
established the small kingdom winning in the race organized to appoint a king at around 1616 Vikram Samvat (1559 AD). Still the remaining stones of the ancient palace could be seen in the hill top at ligligkot.
language meaning clear, pristine, beautiful view. It seems plausible as it fall on the Magar
kingdom then, and Magar
language was the predominant in that part of the region. Later, after the victory of Khas
kings, the Nepali language took over the prevalent Magar
language in Liglig, Gorkha.
kingdom was under Palpa
's King Mukunda Sen. After the demise of King Mukunda Sen their sons couldn't control their big kingdom resulting the small kingdoms in gorkha with the respective administrator being the kings. And in liglig kot it was decided that whoever won the race from the chepeghat to the ligligkot top will be the king for next year (however some historians deny it and say the start point was from chorkate the other side of the chepeghat.. The race would be organized every Dashain tika
day. The race was started 1604 BS. The race were always won by the local ghales. In 1616 BS, the race was won by the Drabya Shah brother of then King Narbhupal Shah of Lamjung district
. Since, then the Shah dynasty were established in the ligligkot kingdom and his descendents established the Gorkha
kingdome and one of the shah descendent Prithvi Narayan Shah
established Nepal
kingdom winning the small kingdoms scattered around the Gorkha
district.
kingdom, nomenclature of Gorkha
and in the fomation of the modern Nepal
. King Drabya Shah was the founder of Gorkha
kingdom.
It is also believed that Drabya Shah with the help of his friends secretly killed the local ghales who were ahead of him and thus secured first position in the race.
His descendants expanded the tiny kingdom to Gorkha
and one of his great grandson Prithvi Narayan Shah
unified the Nepal
as Present Nepal
.
Still, the remaining stones of the Drabya Shah's Palace is seen there in the hill top.
Drabya Shah also conquered Dhading and other places. But it was one of his descendants who, two centuries later, went on to fully unify the Kingdom of Nepal. The ultimate unifier was Prithvi Narayan Shah who, from his base in the Gorkha hills, succeeded in putting the Shah dynasty on the map of Nepal
by subduing the Newar
kings of the Kathmandu Valley
and making Kathmandu his capital. The year was 1769 AD.
Gorkha
is also known for its soldiers, the famous ‘Gurkhas’, who, two centuries ago, fought the British colonials who, in turn, were so impressed that they hired the Nepali fighters to their side. Although today’s Gurkhas are recruited from all over Nepal, they were originally Magars, Gurungs and Chhetris who first fought for the kings of Gorkha.
Gorkha District also has high mountains, including Himal Chuli and Manaslu, both over 7,800 meters. And it’s the site of some famous Hindu temples, of which Manakamana
and Goraknath are the best known.
(named for two trees: amp or mango and pipal, a type of fig). They came to see what they could do to help the locals improve their lives. In one of his books, Dr Thomas Hale describes how the first missionaries asked the people of Amppipal what they needed. They said “health, education and better agriculture”. So the missionaries started a community development project to help meet those felt needs.
First, a demonstration farm was established to introduce the locals to new crops and farming methods, and to improved and more productive breeds of livestock. Over time, village water systems were upgraded, reforestation projects were begun and agricultural extension work was taken up in the villages. Two schools were opened, one on the ridge at Amppipal and another nearby at Luitel on the south slopes of Liglig mountain. And a small health dispensary was set up near the mission farm. Soon, however, the demand for health services had so outgrown the tiny health post that the missionaries began building a real hospital about 15 minutes’ walk down the north side of Liglig mountain. It opened in late 1969 and ran for many years under the leadership of Dr Helen Huston, a dedicated and greatly admired Canadian medical missionary.
For half a century, missionary doctors, nurses, teachers and agriculture workers came from Europe, North America, India and Australia to work at Amppipal, Luitel and the vicinity. They were highly committed and hard-working folk who provided great services to the local people. They learned to speak Nepali, and their dedication and skills led to many changes and improvements in the lives of the villagers amongst whom they lived.
During the 1990s, however, political unrest across Nepal created difficulties at Amppipal, and the missionaries opted to leave. In 2001, Amppipal Hospital was handed over to the Nepal government. Today, eight years on, it functions as a community hospital with some government help, along with Gorkha Foundation assistance. Dr Wolfhard Starke, a retired surgeon from Germany, serves as a volunteer doctor. He is assisted by a dozen Nepali nurses, an administrative officer and other staff.
Similarly, the former mission schools, and many new ones around the mountain, fall under the auspices of the government’s District Education Office. They, too, receive assistance from the Nepal government, the Gorkha Foundation and a few other private organizations.
While the schools and hospital have continued to function, the original demonstration farm at Amppipal is gone. And where mountain trails used to connect the villages of Gorkha, fair-weather roads now criss-cross the hills and valleys. The roads are bumpy at best and are quagmires during the rainy season, but they are well-used by tractors and trucks to move people and haul supplies, and to send fresh farm produce to market. There is now a road to the hospital, and on over Amppipal bhanjhyang (where the trail crosses the ridge), and another leads to the villages of Luitel, Liglig and the vicinity.
Amppipal
Amppipal is a small village in the Amppipal VDC ward no.8 of the Gorkha District of Nepal. This village is in minutes from Liglig which is assumed to be the origin of unification of Nepal. This village contains a hospital originally operated by United Mission to Nepal, built in 1969. It is also a...
VDC Ward No. 4 Kholli of Gorkha
Gorkha
Gurkha are people from Nepal who take their name from the 8th century Hindu warrior-saint Guru Gorakhnath.Gurkha, Ghurkha, or Gorkha may also refer to:-People:...
, Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
.
It is located at the height of 1437 meters (4790 feet) Mean sea level. Gorkha District has a long and intriguing history. It’s where a royal dynasty got its start and the famous Gurkha soldiers got their name. Located 80 kilometres (49.7 mi) due west of Kathmandu (140 kilometers by road). It is a place where the monarchy of Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
was established.
Drabya Shah, then brother of King Narbhupal Shah of neighboring Lamjung District
Lamjung District
Lamjung District of 177,149. Lamjung mainly consists of agricultural villages. The picture on the right is a scene taken in a village called "Kapur Gaun". CHESS Nepal is based in Lamjung District.-Village Development Committees :*Archalebot...
established the small kingdom winning in the race organized to appoint a king at around 1616 Vikram Samvat (1559 AD). Still the remaining stones of the ancient palace could be seen in the hill top at ligligkot.
Origin of Word Liglig
There have been different opinions regarding the origin of the word liglig. However, it is assumed that it came from the word lingling from MagarMagar
The Magars are an indigenous ethnic group of Nepal whose homeland extends from the western and southern edges of the Dhaulagiri section of the high Himalayas range south to the prominent Mahabharat foothill range and eastward into the Gandaki basin. In Nepal, there are a good number of people who...
language meaning clear, pristine, beautiful view. It seems plausible as it fall on the Magar
Magar
The Magars are an indigenous ethnic group of Nepal whose homeland extends from the western and southern edges of the Dhaulagiri section of the high Himalayas range south to the prominent Mahabharat foothill range and eastward into the Gandaki basin. In Nepal, there are a good number of people who...
kingdom then, and Magar
Magar
The Magars are an indigenous ethnic group of Nepal whose homeland extends from the western and southern edges of the Dhaulagiri section of the high Himalayas range south to the prominent Mahabharat foothill range and eastward into the Gandaki basin. In Nepal, there are a good number of people who...
language was the predominant in that part of the region. Later, after the victory of Khas
Khas
Originally the Khas / Khasas or Khasiyas are the mountain dwellers living in the southern shadow of the Himalayan range from Kashmir to Bhutan, but mostly in Nepal, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, North Bengal, Sikkim and Bhutan,...
kings, the Nepali language took over the prevalent Magar
Magar
The Magars are an indigenous ethnic group of Nepal whose homeland extends from the western and southern edges of the Dhaulagiri section of the high Himalayas range south to the prominent Mahabharat foothill range and eastward into the Gandaki basin. In Nepal, there are a good number of people who...
language in Liglig, Gorkha.
History of Liglig kingdom
There has been different stories regarding the history of liglig kingdom. The widely accepted notion states that after the death of Yakshya Malla, the gorkhaGorkha
Gurkha are people from Nepal who take their name from the 8th century Hindu warrior-saint Guru Gorakhnath.Gurkha, Ghurkha, or Gorkha may also refer to:-People:...
kingdom was under Palpa
Palpa
Palpa may refer to:In Peru:*Palpa, Peru, near the Nazca Lines*Palpa Province, in the Ica RegionIn Nepal:*Palpa District, a district of Nepal in the Lumbini Zone*Palpa language...
's King Mukunda Sen. After the demise of King Mukunda Sen their sons couldn't control their big kingdom resulting the small kingdoms in gorkha with the respective administrator being the kings. And in liglig kot it was decided that whoever won the race from the chepeghat to the ligligkot top will be the king for next year (however some historians deny it and say the start point was from chorkate the other side of the chepeghat.. The race would be organized every Dashain tika
Tika
Tika can refer to:* Tilaka, the Nepalese name for 'tika'* Theravada commentaries* Peter, Albanian variation of a nickname for Petrika* Crown Prince, a title in certain Indian monarchies* A place in Abkhazia* A place on Saturn's satellite Rhea...
day. The race was started 1604 BS. The race were always won by the local ghales. In 1616 BS, the race was won by the Drabya Shah brother of then King Narbhupal Shah of Lamjung district
Lamjung District
Lamjung District of 177,149. Lamjung mainly consists of agricultural villages. The picture on the right is a scene taken in a village called "Kapur Gaun". CHESS Nepal is based in Lamjung District.-Village Development Committees :*Archalebot...
. Since, then the Shah dynasty were established in the ligligkot kingdom and his descendents established the Gorkha
Gorkha
Gurkha are people from Nepal who take their name from the 8th century Hindu warrior-saint Guru Gorakhnath.Gurkha, Ghurkha, or Gorkha may also refer to:-People:...
kingdome and one of the shah descendent Prithvi Narayan Shah
Prithvi Narayan Shah
Prithvi Narayan Shah, King of Nepal was the first king of the House of Shahs to rule Nepal. He is credited for starting the campaign for a unified Nepal, which had been divided and weakened under Malla confederacy. He was the ninth generation descendant of Dravya Shah , the founder of the ruling...
established Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
kingdom winning the small kingdoms scattered around the Gorkha
Gorkha
Gurkha are people from Nepal who take their name from the 8th century Hindu warrior-saint Guru Gorakhnath.Gurkha, Ghurkha, or Gorkha may also refer to:-People:...
district.
Battle of the LigLig Fort
Drabya Shah, the youngest son of Yashobrahma Shah, king of Lamjung, became the king after capturing Liglig fort with much tactfulness on Vijaya Dasami 1616 B.S. (1559 A.D.) having marched from Lamjung. At that time the Uppallokot (fort in the upper part) area and Tallokot (fort in the lower part) area of Gorkha were ruled by Khadka and Ghale Gurung tribal chiefs respectively. The Ghale Gurungs were the rulers of Liglig fort area also. Thus the areas with three tribal chiefs after the conquest by Drabya Shah was called Gorkha. The battle of Liglig is of much importance in the GorkhaGorkha
Gurkha are people from Nepal who take their name from the 8th century Hindu warrior-saint Guru Gorakhnath.Gurkha, Ghurkha, or Gorkha may also refer to:-People:...
kingdom, nomenclature of Gorkha
Gorkha
Gurkha are people from Nepal who take their name from the 8th century Hindu warrior-saint Guru Gorakhnath.Gurkha, Ghurkha, or Gorkha may also refer to:-People:...
and in the fomation of the modern Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
. King Drabya Shah was the founder of Gorkha
Gorkha
Gurkha are people from Nepal who take their name from the 8th century Hindu warrior-saint Guru Gorakhnath.Gurkha, Ghurkha, or Gorkha may also refer to:-People:...
kingdom.
It is also believed that Drabya Shah with the help of his friends secretly killed the local ghales who were ahead of him and thus secured first position in the race.
His descendants expanded the tiny kingdom to Gorkha
Gorkha
Gurkha are people from Nepal who take their name from the 8th century Hindu warrior-saint Guru Gorakhnath.Gurkha, Ghurkha, or Gorkha may also refer to:-People:...
and one of his great grandson Prithvi Narayan Shah
Prithvi Narayan Shah
Prithvi Narayan Shah, King of Nepal was the first king of the House of Shahs to rule Nepal. He is credited for starting the campaign for a unified Nepal, which had been divided and weakened under Malla confederacy. He was the ninth generation descendant of Dravya Shah , the founder of the ruling...
unified the Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
as Present Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
.
Still, the remaining stones of the Drabya Shah's Palace is seen there in the hill top.
Drabya Shah also conquered Dhading and other places. But it was one of his descendants who, two centuries later, went on to fully unify the Kingdom of Nepal. The ultimate unifier was Prithvi Narayan Shah who, from his base in the Gorkha hills, succeeded in putting the Shah dynasty on the map of Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
by subduing the Newar
Newar
The Newa , Newār or Newāl) are the indigenous people and the creators of the historical civilization of Nepal's Kathmandu Valley. The valley and surrounding territory have been known from ancient times as Nepal Mandala, its limits ever changing through history.Newas have lived in the Kathmandu...
kings of the Kathmandu Valley
Kathmandu Valley
The Kathmandu Valley , located in Nepal, lies at the crossroads of ancient civilizations of Asia, and has at least 130 important monuments, including several places of pilgrimage for the Hindus and the Buddhists. There are seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites within this valley.-Etymology:The city of...
and making Kathmandu his capital. The year was 1769 AD.
Gorkha
Gorkha
Gurkha are people from Nepal who take their name from the 8th century Hindu warrior-saint Guru Gorakhnath.Gurkha, Ghurkha, or Gorkha may also refer to:-People:...
is also known for its soldiers, the famous ‘Gurkhas’, who, two centuries ago, fought the British colonials who, in turn, were so impressed that they hired the Nepali fighters to their side. Although today’s Gurkhas are recruited from all over Nepal, they were originally Magars, Gurungs and Chhetris who first fought for the kings of Gorkha.
Gorkha District also has high mountains, including Himal Chuli and Manaslu, both over 7,800 meters. And it’s the site of some famous Hindu temples, of which Manakamana
Manakamana
Manakamana is the name of a Hindu Goddess. It is believed that the Goddess fulfils the wishes of the people. The term ‘mana’ means the ‘heart’ or ‘soul’ and ‘kamana’ means the ‘wish’....
and Goraknath are the best known.
Liglig’s Amppipal Hospital
It was a half century ago when the residents of Liglig and surrounding villages and hamlets were first introduced to modern agriculture, education and health development. It happened this way. In the late 1950s, several Western missionaries showed on the eastern flanks of Liglig mountain at a tiny ridge-top village called AmppipalAmppipal
Amppipal is a small village in the Amppipal VDC ward no.8 of the Gorkha District of Nepal. This village is in minutes from Liglig which is assumed to be the origin of unification of Nepal. This village contains a hospital originally operated by United Mission to Nepal, built in 1969. It is also a...
(named for two trees: amp or mango and pipal, a type of fig). They came to see what they could do to help the locals improve their lives. In one of his books, Dr Thomas Hale describes how the first missionaries asked the people of Amppipal what they needed. They said “health, education and better agriculture”. So the missionaries started a community development project to help meet those felt needs.
First, a demonstration farm was established to introduce the locals to new crops and farming methods, and to improved and more productive breeds of livestock. Over time, village water systems were upgraded, reforestation projects were begun and agricultural extension work was taken up in the villages. Two schools were opened, one on the ridge at Amppipal and another nearby at Luitel on the south slopes of Liglig mountain. And a small health dispensary was set up near the mission farm. Soon, however, the demand for health services had so outgrown the tiny health post that the missionaries began building a real hospital about 15 minutes’ walk down the north side of Liglig mountain. It opened in late 1969 and ran for many years under the leadership of Dr Helen Huston, a dedicated and greatly admired Canadian medical missionary.
For half a century, missionary doctors, nurses, teachers and agriculture workers came from Europe, North America, India and Australia to work at Amppipal, Luitel and the vicinity. They were highly committed and hard-working folk who provided great services to the local people. They learned to speak Nepali, and their dedication and skills led to many changes and improvements in the lives of the villagers amongst whom they lived.
During the 1990s, however, political unrest across Nepal created difficulties at Amppipal, and the missionaries opted to leave. In 2001, Amppipal Hospital was handed over to the Nepal government. Today, eight years on, it functions as a community hospital with some government help, along with Gorkha Foundation assistance. Dr Wolfhard Starke, a retired surgeon from Germany, serves as a volunteer doctor. He is assisted by a dozen Nepali nurses, an administrative officer and other staff.
Similarly, the former mission schools, and many new ones around the mountain, fall under the auspices of the government’s District Education Office. They, too, receive assistance from the Nepal government, the Gorkha Foundation and a few other private organizations.
While the schools and hospital have continued to function, the original demonstration farm at Amppipal is gone. And where mountain trails used to connect the villages of Gorkha, fair-weather roads now criss-cross the hills and valleys. The roads are bumpy at best and are quagmires during the rainy season, but they are well-used by tractors and trucks to move people and haul supplies, and to send fresh farm produce to market. There is now a road to the hospital, and on over Amppipal bhanjhyang (where the trail crosses the ridge), and another leads to the villages of Luitel, Liglig and the vicinity.
Reference
Webpage * http://www.premsinghbasnyat.com.np/battles.php- http://www.ecs.com.np/feature_detail.php?f_id=20