Darj: Rai community welcomes spring with ‘Sakela Ubhauli’ fest

Amitava Banerjee | MP | 14 May 2023 | Darjeeling: The Rai community of Darjeeling welcomed spring with a ‘Sakela Ubhauli’ festival organised at the Darjeeling Mall. Rais from all over the Hills converged in Darjeeling to participate in the festival. With the traditional dances, food and ceremonies, it was a major tourist attraction. 

The Rais are an ethno-linguistic group of the Kirat family residing in West Bengal and Sikkim in India along with eastern Nepal and south western Bhutan. Sakela is one of the main festivals of the Kirati people. 

It is celebrated twice a year, Sakela Ubhauli and Sakela Udhauli. Both are harvest festivals. Sakela Ubhauli is celebrated in the month of Baisakh welcoming spring and starts on the full moon day. Sakela Udhauli is held from the full moon day of Mangshir and continues for around 15 days. 

Interestingly Ubhauli in the yesteryears was the time when upward migration would take place. With the advent of spring migration would start from the foothills to the highesr reaches. While during Udhauli during winters migration would be from higher reaches to lower after harvest. 

Dressed in traditional clothes and carrying traditional musical instruments, a procession was taken out from the Darjeeling Railway station and ended at the Darjeeling Mall. Prayers were offered by the Shamans- Mangpa and Mangma. The Silli dance that is the main attraction was performed around a makeshift altar. 

Girls dressed in traditional finery danced round the altar while boys played traditional drums and cymbals. Stalls were set up selling traditional attires and food including “Wachipa” a traditional dish made from chicken and rice. 

“It was a great experience for us. Along with the sight and sound it was an excellent opportunity for photographs, specially the Shamans with their bright feather headgears. We also got a chance to taste traditional food of the Rais,” stated Arnab Bhattacharjee, a tourist from Kolkata. 

Amidst the commemorations, demands for the inclusion of the Rai community, in the Scheduled Tribe list was also resurrected. 

“The Rais had been declared Hill Tribes in 1931. It has been long since we have been demanding inclusion in the scheduled tribe list. Religion followed by Rais’ is shamanistic. We are nature worshippers and also worship our ancestors. We keep three stones in our households that we pray to,” stated Smriti Rai, 

Spokesperson, Kirat Khambu Rai Sankritik Sangsthan, the organisers. 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/darj-rai-community-welcomes-spring-with-sakela-ubhauli-fest-518550