Khelma
Encyclopedia
The Khelma or Khelma/Sakachep are one of the Kuki
of the Mizo tribe in Assam
, India
.
's Dima Hasao, Cachar and Karbi Anglong districts. The Khelma/Sakachep tribe are found in the Jaintia hills in Meghalaya
, while some live in the Peren district
in Nagaland
. Their life style and habitat closely resemble the other tribes of the Kuki or the Mizo Community. Among the inhabitants of the N.C. Hills district, the Sakachep (also known as Khelmas) are one of the smallest community. The Khelmas are similar in language, customs and traditions to the Hrangkhols and Baites. They cremate their dead like the Vedic Hindu in olden days. However, 90 % of the population are Christians today. They are entirely dependent on agriculture for their livelihood.
. The Khelmas have a good number of folk songs for different occasions, the songs are generally slow.
.
The Khelmas bear a close resemblance to the Hrangkhols and the Biate
, in language, customs and tradition. The main traditional Gods and deities of the Khelmas are Angera, Debi Maka saichkri Rajaram Mokolraja. The traditional social administration of the ‘‘Khelams’’ is known as the Chep Halam, it is headed by a Kalim and Kabur. In the Khelmas community, the young man has to serve his father-in-law for four years before he is allowed to take his wife home. This system is called the Maksa. The Khelmas also celebrate different festivals, which are connected with worship of different gods and goddesses during the year.
Kuki people
The Kukis are an ethnic group that spread throughout the Northeastern region of India, Northwest Burma and Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh. In Northeast India they are present in all the states except Arunachal Pradesh. This dispersal across international borders is mainly attributed to the...
of the Mizo tribe in Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
History
The Khelma tribe is one of the smallest tribes in the Kuki community. They mainly inhabit areas of AssamAssam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
's Dima Hasao, Cachar and Karbi Anglong districts. The Khelma/Sakachep tribe are found in the Jaintia hills in Meghalaya
Meghalaya
Meghalaya is a state in north-eastern India. The word "Meghalaya" literally means the Abode of Clouds in Sanskrit and other Indic languages. Meghalaya is a hilly strip in the eastern part of the country about 300 km long and 100 km wide, with a total area of about 8,700 sq mi . The...
, while some live in the Peren district
Peren district
Peren is the eleventh and newest district of Nagaland and has been formed by the partition of Kohima District.- History :Peren District is inhabited by the Zeliangs who originated from Nkuilwangdi, presently in Senapati District of Manipur...
in Nagaland
Nagaland
Nagaland is a state in the far north-eastern part of India. It borders the state of Assam to the west, Arunachal Pradesh and part of Assam to the north, Burma to the east and Manipur to the south. The state capital is Kohima, and the largest city is Dimapur...
. Their life style and habitat closely resemble the other tribes of the Kuki or the Mizo Community. Among the inhabitants of the N.C. Hills district, the Sakachep (also known as Khelmas) are one of the smallest community. The Khelmas are similar in language, customs and traditions to the Hrangkhols and Baites. They cremate their dead like the Vedic Hindu in olden days. However, 90 % of the population are Christians today. They are entirely dependent on agriculture for their livelihood.
Clans
There are many clans in the Khelma community. They are Saithuvai, Vaichei, Sumtinkha, Thirsu, Neibom, Kholum, Telengsing, Langkai,Kelphung and Nisatarai.Festivals
The Khelmas also celebrate different festivals which are connected with the worshiping of different gods and goddess during the year. Rabu-khat, Parsem, Inmathung and Rabuthum are such festivals. Rabuthum is the most important of all the ceremonies of the Khelmas. Parsem Kut is one of the biggest festivals they celebrate in the month of April, which is an age-old traditional shifting jhum cultivationJhum cultivation
Jhum or Jhoom cultivation is a local name for slash and burn agriculture practiced by the tribal groups in the northeastern states of India like Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland and also in the districts of Bangladesh like Khagrachari and Sylhet...
. The Khelmas have a good number of folk songs for different occasions, the songs are generally slow.
Customs & Traditions
The traditional attire and ornaments of the Khelmas are very interesting. The women wear strings of different beads and coins around their neck. Today, majority of the young boys and girls of the villages wear pants, shirts and traditional Mekhela. The older men simply wear a dhutiDhuti
Dhuti can refer to:*Dhoti, a men's lower garment traditional in South Asia.*Dhatri, Dhūti or Dhātā, one of the Ādityas in Hindu scriptures, son of Kashyapa and Aditi.*Dhṛti, an 18-syllable poetic meter sometimes used in ancient Buddhist texts of India...
.
The Khelmas bear a close resemblance to the Hrangkhols and the Biate
Biate (tribe)
The Biate people are an indigenous tribal people, or "hill tribe", of Assam. Their language belongs to the Tibeto-Burman family. Though they are less in term of population, they have their own identity with a rich and distinctive history, culture, dialect and religious heritages. They are also one...
, in language, customs and tradition. The main traditional Gods and deities of the Khelmas are Angera, Debi Maka saichkri Rajaram Mokolraja. The traditional social administration of the ‘‘Khelams’’ is known as the Chep Halam, it is headed by a Kalim and Kabur. In the Khelmas community, the young man has to serve his father-in-law for four years before he is allowed to take his wife home. This system is called the Maksa. The Khelmas also celebrate different festivals, which are connected with worship of different gods and goddesses during the year.