Kingdom of Nepal, 1962

The Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Nepal in 1962, when a constitutional form of government was established, displays a white cow, a green pheasant (the Himalayan monal, Lophophorus impejanus) and the Rhododendron, Nepal’s national flower; in the background are the peaks of the Himalayas. Two Gurkha soldiers flank it: one carries a rifle, the other a bow and arrow. Above this are two crossed “Kukris”, the knives associated with the Gurkhas, the moon and sun symbols, two crossed Nepalese flags and the footprints of Gorakhnath, the guardian deity of the Gurkhas. At the top is the royal headdress. At the base is a red scroll with the national motto in Sanskrit: “Jananī janmabhūmiśca svargādapi garīyasī” (Mother and Motherland are greater than heaven).