Kirāt

The Kirat are a people indigenous to eastern Nepal, and they are the most populous group within the broader Kiranti people. They speak several dialects of Kiranti, a Tibeto-Burman language. The Rai, a subgroup of the Kirat, are subsistence farmers and stock raisers, primarily cultivating rice, corn, and millet. They are also skilled weavers and historically traded with the Sherpas. While influenced by Buddhism and Hinduism, the Rai maintain their traditional religion, which involves the worship of local deities and common ancestors. The Kirat people are among the earliest inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal.12