Kirata Kingdom in Sanskrit literature and Hindu mythology refers to any kingdom of the Kirata people, who were dwellers mostly in the Himalayas (mostly eastern Himalaya) and North-East India. They took part in the Kurukshetra War along with Parvatas (mountaineers) and other Himalayan tribes. They were widespread in the folds and valleys of Himalayas in Nepal and Bhutan, and in the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Assam and Tripura.
Though dwelling in the Himalayas and other inaccessible regions, Kiratas did not get the status of super-humans enjoyed by other tribes like the Gandharvas, Kinnaras, Kimpurushas and Yakshas. This was probably because of their greater interaction with the Vedic people, which resulted in their de-mystification. But literary meaning of the word Kirata-or Kirati- means people with lion nature. It is derived from two words Kira-Lion and Ti- people and it also means people from the mountains. These two references fits well with the description of mythical Kimpurushas and thus it is possible that they might have been referenced as such in some older texts at least.
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