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NEW DELHI, June 24 (Reuters) - The king of Nepal won pledges of Indian support on Monday for his country's battle against Maoist rebels on his first foreign trip since coming to the throne after the massacre of most of the royal family a year ago.

King Gyanendra's talks with Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and senior ministers focused on the Himalayan kingdom's need for military assistance to fight the communist guerrillas, as well as on trade.

An Indian foreign ministry spokeswoman told reporters that foreign minister Jaswant Singh had told the king that India was ready to help its troubled northern neighbour.

"India remains committed to doing whatever we can for Nepal, especially in these testing times," the spokeswoman cited Singh as saying.

The Maoist guerrillas want to overthrow the constitutional monarchy and set up a one-party communist republic. More than 4,700 people have been killed since the rebellion broke out in 1996.

India has given impoverished Nepal various types of military assistance including arms, intelligence-sharing, helicopters, trucks and mine-resistant vehicles.

"India of course will continue to support the government of Nepal for the steps taken by it to maintain peace and security in the country," Indian President K. R. Narayanan said in a speech at a dinner for the king.

"Our policy has always been to see Nepal as an independent, modern, prosperous and peaceful country."

Indian officials did not give details of how it might give more help.

Nepal's government has said it desperately needs foreign military aid to crush the rebellion.

The fighting has threatened Nepal's multi-party democracy and seriously hurt its economy.

The rebels have destroyed infrastructure and the violence has also scared away tourists, squeezing a key source of revenue and hampering growth in one of the world's 10 poorest countries.

Tourism for mountain-trekking and temple-hopping is the country's third largest source of income and accounts for about four percent of gross domestic product.

Gyanendra took over the throne of the world's only Hindu kingdom after his brother, King Birendra, and most of the royal family were killed in June last year by then Crown Prince Dipendra in a drug-and-alcohol-induced shooting spree.

India is Nepal's biggest trade partner and a key aid donor.

India accounted for 43 percent of Nepal's total trade in fiscal 2000/01 (mid-July to mid-July) and enjoyed a 19.35 billion Nepali rupee ($247.1 million) trade surplus. 

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