Mankhim
Encyclopedia
Rai (ethnic group)
The Rai are one of Nepal's most ancient indigenous ethnolinguistic groups. They were Raya meaning king. Once someone was recognized as a ruler then Hindus awarded the title Raja, Rai, Raya, Malla etc. When the king Pritivi Narayan Shah couldn't defeat Kirant king , he somehow took them in...
, one of Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
's most ancient ethnolinguistic groups, is located at Aritar, Sikkim
Sikkim
Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayan mountains...
. Here the Rai community assembles twice every year for the celebration of Sakew, a day fixed for worship (usually falling in the months of April or May). In the Nepali language
Nepali language
Nepali or Nepalese is a language in the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family.It is the official language and de facto lingua franca of Nepal and is also spoken in Bhutan, parts of India and parts of Myanmar...
this worship is called Ubhowli.
Worship
The Rai are worshippers of nature. When the wildlife begins moving to the high hills of the HimalayanHimalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
ranges while the seeds sown in the fields by the tribes grow and bloom with flowers, the tribes perform Sakewa puja which includes dancing and singing. The dance is called Silli and mimics the movements of birds and animals during their migration. The performance of Sakewa puj is led by the Mangpa (the Rai priest) or by the head of an important family in his absence. Sakewa puja may last for a month in some villages if family members are scattered as are the Bihu of Assam. During Sakewa puja instruments such as the dhol
Dhol
Dhol can refer to any one of a number of similar types of double-headed drum widely used, with regional variations, throughout the Indian subcontinent and nearby regions. Its range of distribution in India and Pakistan primarily includes northern areas such as the Assam Valley, Bengal, Gujarat,...
(or dhela), the jyamta, the
bow and arrow, the chindo, the yak tail, and the cock and hen are used.
After Sakewa Puja, the Rai community is banned from playing any musical instruments until after they have performed the harvest festival, udhowli, in August and September. At this time the birds and the animals return from the high hills to the low lands and puja silli is completed .
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