I recently bought one of the antique Enfields from the Palace of Lagan Silekhana cache in Kathmandu. I also purchased a Longleaf Kukhri from the Victorian period. I am stumped, however as to deciphering the Devanagari script markings, especially the year markings on the Kukhri. As a U.S. Army veteran, I would want any display associated with artifacts belonging to my unit to be correct. I would expect that the Gurkhas, being a very distinct military unit with a distinguished history, would expect the same. I woul therefore like to ask for help from your forum members int the deciphering and translation of these markings.

I have provided a link below to the string with pictures of my rifle and Kukhri:

Help with Nepalese Markings

http://britishmilitariaforums.yuku.com/topic/10244

If you are interested in the background of my P1853 Enfield Three-band Rifle refinishing project.

Here are my other two strings from out of the box to done display.

Atlanta Cutlery P1853

http://britishmilitariaforums.yuku.com/topic/8053?page=1

Original P1853 Socket Bayonet Added to Musket

http://britishmilitariaforums.yuku.com/topic/10220

 

The devnagari scripts as transcribed are quite interesting, and difficult to read. I am no army expert but as a Nepali, here's what I came up with so far.

For the very first one pic titled Triggerguard, The markings are as follows

Ka 1
2 (unable to figure the second one)
44

Triggerguard Tang (U could be write about the translation Subunit 4 and no 34)
Jung 4
No
34

Long Leaf Khukuri
It reads
Shree Teen Chandra (with a picture of the moon=chandra meaning moon in Nepali) Singh 2126

In those days Prime Ministeres from the RANA clan (the aristrocrats as we refer to them in Nepal) were addressed as Shree Teen. This Khukuri might as well belong to one of the PM from the past.

Thank you for sharing the pics. And Good Luck in your search for the true and actual meaning.

Thank you so much! I really appreciate your help.

 I have one question regarding the 2126 date. I was told the Kukhri was marked with the year of manufacture by the Kami. What year in the Nineteenth Century would 2126 be? 

OK, I had to revisit the picture after I read your question regarding the manufacturing date. Because according to the Nepali Calendar we are currently in year 2067. So, it did not make sense to the date being engraved as 2126 in the Khukuri that you brought. Here's where I made the mistake. It is supposed to be Shree Teen Chandra Singh RA {pronounced as RAA (RA I am guessing for RANA-the Aristrocrat}. The number 2 and the letter RA look very similar in Devnagari plus i misread ( I ) for no. 1. Hopefully this was of some help to you. It would be interesting to find the historic meaning behind this KHUKURI.

It is read as Shree Teen Chandra Singh Ra 26