Sakewa

   

                                      SEWANEY is a greeting like Namaste, used by the RAIs

I belong to the RAI community. It is an ancient, indigenous and ethnolinguistic group of the Himalayan region, as described by Wikipedia. The word Rai, is derived from the word, Raya. The Rayas were the Kings of Nepal in the earlier times. However they were defeated by the Shahas in 1832 and thereafter known as Rais. The Rai people along with Limboos, Yakkas etc belong to the Khambu region and are collectively known as Kirat Khambus.

In twenty-four years of my existence, I attended the first Sakewa celebration held at Namchi, South Sikkim on the 23rd of May 2011. Sakewa is an important festival of the RAI community. It is celebrated to offer prayers and seek blessings from Mother Nature. The festival falls on fifteenth day of the fifth month(Baisakh) of the Nepalese Calender. Prayers are conducted by the priests, called "Mangpa." The drum or 'Hongken' plays a significant part in the ritual. A person beats a drum throughout and the Mangpa dances to the beat. Three stones or Lungs are placed together to make a fire or Samkha. The three Lungs are:
Suptulung
Taralung
Shakalung

                                                            Mangpa: A Rai Priest

Prayers are offered to ancestors around the fire and food offerings are made. The Rais originally practiced Animism or Ancestral Worship. However with time, most of them have converted to Hinduism, Christianity and Buddhism.
The dances, known as Sili, are performed. The Sili dance is an art which mimics the characteristics of the animals and the birds in the sowing season.

The Sakewa celebration in Namchi, started at 12 noon with the arrival of the Chief Minister, Mr. Pawan Kumar Chamling, who was the Chief Guest for the day. The venue for the event was Bhaichung Stadium, Namchi. There were various stalls and kiosks built around which showcased and highlighted things made by or belonging to the Rai community. The welcome address was made by Mr. S.K Rai, who is a dentist by profession and the President of the Akhil Kirat Rai Sangh, Sikkim.

                                                                    Suptulung Sili

The first programme was the Suptulung Sili dance, performed by Gom Block, South Sikkim. The most attractive part of the dance was the two main singers. A little boy and a little girl sang the song while the dancers moved to the beat and rhythm accordingly.

                             Mr. Jiten Rai, Mr Nabin Rai, Ms. Menka Rai & Ms.Pavitra Rai from Nepal

Crossing Geographical barriers, four singers had come from Nepal, led by Mr. Jiten Rai. They sang songs, praising Parohang and Summina, who are believed to be the creators and the main ancestors of the RAI people.

                                                                The Chasum Sila

Purano Namchi performed the Chasum Sila dance. This dance is an action sequence of how the first seed is sown, the field work, right up to how the harvesting is done and the food eaten. The careful demonstration of every action is not just interesting to watch but also very fascinating that It often makes one eager to learn the dance.

                                                                    The Sew Sili

Central Pandom performed the Sew Sili dance. In this dance, the dancers shout along and like other silis, the movement of animals and birds are mimicked.

                                                                        The Mang Sili

The Kirat Khambu Rai Samsthan of Bagdogra performed the Mang Sili. I particularly enjoyed this one as there were two middle-aged men playing the drum as the dancers moved around to their beats. The men seemed full of energy and the audience were captivated and clapped along with them.

                                                              Modern Rai Dance: Lakh

Melli, South Sikkim performed the Modern Rai Dance or the Lakh. Their modern short sarees and movements indicated the influence adopted from various modern dances, however, the originality of the Sili remained intact.

                               The Honourable Chief Minister of Sikkim, Dr. Pawan Kumar Chamling

The Chief Minister then went on stage to deliver his speech. As usual, when he spoke, we all listened. He stressed on how important the identity of each community of Sikkim was. He also pointed out that just because he belonged to the RAI community, did not mean that Sakewa was the only important festival of the state. He said we should be tolerant towards all communities and their festivals. That was the only way to "Go Back to our roots" and at the same time, not only grow but evolve!

                                                    Aparajita Rai, being felicitated by the CM

Then the Chief Minister felicitated Ms. Aparajita Rai and Ms. Raksha Rai. The former is a great example for not just people of the RAI community but for youth all over the state. Ms. Aparajita Rai has cleared her Union Public Service Commission exams. As most people know, a lot of hard-work is required for one to clear the civil exams. This girl did it and has made every Sikkimese proud.

                                           Ms. Raksha Rai, being felicitated by the CM


Ms. Raksha Rai is a student of Deorali Girls School, Gangtok. She had taken part in a competition organized by the Fox History and Entertainment Channel. She chose to narrate her tale about Sakewa. Out of several hundred students who took part in the competition, Raksha stood fourth. Now her essay is being converted into a documentary, which will be produced by the channel and aired on the show called, "My City, My History." What a remarkable achievement for a youngster and what an example to follow!

 Homawasha

                                          Wachipa

                                                                     Homabaksha

Then, lunch was served. The meal consisted of the authentic rice dish, known as Wachipa. There were also Smoked Chicken, Homo Washa and Smoked Pork, Homo Baksha, along with so many other food and drinks.

The people of Polok-Kamrang, South Sikkim had a very creative exhibition of organic vegetables. Under the guidance of Mrs. Tika Maya Chamling, the people had made interesting models of animals etc, using vegetables.

                                                          A Mangpa made out of veggies

There was an exhibition cum sale of paintings and sketches, made by RAI artists from Sikkim, Nepal and Darjeeling. Likewise, there were many house-hold and food items that belonged to the Rai community.

                                                                    Paintings for sale

 

 Me, in the traditional RAI dress. Of course the power shoulders were my lil cousin's fashion tip. She designed it herself. Check out her designs at www.rainism-rohini.blogspot.com

 Overall, the festival was a learning experience and a display of tradition and culture. It was a colourful event and something that I look forward to attending every year.