A Sanskrit term for people inhabiting areas in the Himalayas and the north-eastern regions of the Indian subcontinent. The term is particularly associated with people of Sino-Tibetan origins and was used to refer to the Limbu, Tani, Rai, Yakkha, Magar, Sunuwar, Dhimal and Lepcha peoples of present-day Eastern Nepal and the Indian regions of Sikkim and Darjeeling. The earliest mentions of kiratas are found in the Yajurveda and and the Atharvaveda.
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Communities & Cultures | Performance & Practice | All India | All Nepal | Eastern India | Eastern Nepal | Northeastern India | Iron Age (1800–600 BCE)
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ChicagoImpart Encyclopedia of Art. "Kirata." Last updated February 17, 2026. https://imp-art.org/definitions/kirata/.
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MLA"Kirata." Impart Encyclopedia of Art, Feb. 17, 2026, https://imp-art.org/definitions/kirata/.
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HarvardImpart Encyclopedia of Art (2026) Kirata. Available at: https://imp-art.org/definitions/kirata/ (Accessed: 3 March 2026).
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