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Yelam Sambat (Devanagari: येलम संबत् ) is thelunar calendar used by theKirat community ofNepal. The Yelam Sambat calendar is named after the first Kirat kingYalambar. TheRais call itYele Dong, theSunuwars call itYele Thoche,Yakkha (Dewan)s call itYele Naamsam, and theLimbus call itYele Tangbe.
It is said that this calendar started when the Kirat kingYalambar defeated the Gopal dynasty in theKathmandu Valley. The Yele Sambat calendar begins on 15 January. This new year day is also celebrated asMaghe Sankranti in Nepal when people eat sweet potato and various kinds ofyams andsel roti.
On 15 November 2009,Subash Chandra Nembang, Chairperson of the Constituent Assembly (CA) stressed the need for the Government of Nepal to recognize Kirant Yele Sambat and ensure that it would be included in the constitution as annex. On 15 January 2010, the Government of Nepal stated that it would formally recognise Yele Sambat.
According toGopal Vamsawali, 32 Kirat kings ruled the Kathmandu valley for 1963 years and 8 months.[1] The Kirat rule ended and theLicchavi rule was started by Jaya Varma inSaka Sambat 107.78 years of time period is added to convert Saka Sambat intoAD, i.e., Saka Sambat 107 + 78 years = 185 AD. The Kirat kings ruled for 1963 years and 8 months. Deducting 185 from 1963 years and 8 months = 1779.8 BC, which is the starting ruling year of the first Kirat king Yalambar. In 2018, adding 1779.8 BC and 2017 AD, the Yele Sambat year comes out to be 3797 years and 8 months.[2]
According toGopal Vamsawali, 32 Kirat kings ruled the Kathmandu valley. The list of these kings along with their period of rule is given below: