The Famous Notch--The Kaudi, buddhas eyes etc. some meanings

[spiral]

Heres some stuff Simon & I learnt while we were in Nepal. I expect most of you realy interested in kukri have seen the complete thread at which has many more Kaudi exhibeted by John Powell & others & you can read others views at the International kukri research & historical society website & forum.

http://ikrhs.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=122#122

{link seems to go to last post, to see it all you need to scroll upwards etc. }

But for those of you who havent, heres some of it.

The cho is usualy called the kaudi in Nepal & the kamis say it is a device to drip blood to reduce the amount of it that gets on to the handle.

Interestingly they & most of the other Nepali sources say most of the original designs are religious symbols usualy based on the shape of various temple roofs.

Shiva the god of victory, is the commonest although they say it is also doubles as the cows hoof. also a sacred symbol.

buddhas temple, & christs cross are also represented.

we were also offered a villager kukri that I noticed was stamped with the feet of sita {the goddeses wife of Ram.} & then upon checking with our sources found that it matched the sita temple roof in the same hilltop village which certainly seemed to corrobarate what we had prieviosly been told.

I am sure some kaudi have different meanings from this but it seems they are all protective religious symbols, the sun god, crescent moon symbols & the sexual organs of the gods as examples. Whether particular symbols were prefered by individual, kami, or particular workshops or {so called armourys} we could find no definate proof but to me it does seem quite possible.

The amount of crescent moon shapes present, is possibly because it is a common Nepalese army symbol used by many different regiments & battalions.{also on the national flag of nepal & of course the royal standard..

The small stars or circles often found on the majority of commercal post 1960 kukri at the end of the small spines fullers or grooves also represent Lord Buddhas eyes one of the familar all seeing god symbols one sees all over Nepal.


Spiral.


Heres examples of Christs, Shivas {cows hoof.} & Buddhas, kaudi.

The bottom one also looks like its probably a temple roof, perhaps one near Calcutta, or Queeta ? as the Mk.1 carrys, FW fort william marks & those of Queeta armoury as well. amongst many others.{last 3,company battalion,dates etc.}