Rabhas observe colorful festival, Baikho, along Assam-Meghalaya border

Fire-test dance caught attention of the audience 

A Correspondent

Boko: The Rabha tribal community’s annual colourful festival, Baikho, was observed at Gamerimura village in the Kamrup district along the Assam-Meghalaya border on Saturday. The festival also included rituals to observe the Baikho Puja.

The Gamerimura regional units of the All Rabha Students’ Union (ARSU), All Rabha Women Council (ARWC), and the Six Schedule Demand Committee (SSDC) jointly organized the daylong festival at the Gamerimura High School playground. 

According to Rohini Kumar Rabha, the head priest of the Baikho Puja, they start their rituals by sacrificing a pig and twelve cocks. After that, all priests and the people of the area take blessings from their worship of gods and goddesses. Rabha also mentioned that Ghila Guti (African dream seeds) and Soko (rice beer), among other things, are important for the Baikho Puja and Festival.  During the festival, a felicitation programme was organized by all three regional organizations that also felicitated fifty-five students who passed the HSLC and HS examinations from the Gamerimura area.

Ashok Nongbag, general secretary of the Kamrup district ARSU unit, and many other invited guests took part in the facilitation programme that witnessed various Rabha traditional dances.

Rohini Kumar Rabha, the head priest of the Baikho Puja, said that as part of the festival, the traditional Rabha game ‘lewa tana’ (tug-of-war) was also organized among the priests, boys, and girls of the area by burning incense and worshipping the gods and goddesses. Rabha also said, “This is our traditional annual puja. During the Baikho Puja, we worship our thirteen gods and goddesses for a good harvest, for children’s progress in education, for no scarcity of water, for people to remain free from sickness, and to remove evils and misfortune. Moreover, we annually celebrate the puja for the comprehensive development of the Rabha tribal community.”

The ‘Barnakkai’ (fire-test) dance caught the attention of the audience in the evening after the end of the sunlight, which is the most thrilling and the last part of the Baikho puja. Rabha tribal priests apply rice powder paste to their bodies just before the performance of the ‘Barnakkai’ dance. After that, they prepare a fire with charcoal, and they perform the fire-test dance to fulfil their wishes by worshipping gods and goddesses. Before the ‘Barnakkai’, the Rabha tribal priests also observe a ritual called ‘Killabhanga’, which is observed for power.

Pradip Rabha, vice president of the All Rabha Students’ Union (ARSU), said that the festival is observed in various places in Kamrup, Goalpara, Udalguri, Tamulpur, Bhergaon, and many other places in Assam. The festival is also observed in Fedardoba (near Tura), Paham, Nagorgaon, Kodomsali, Dhabangpara, Bogadoli, Khamari, Jugijhar, Nidanpur, Sarakpara, Bahundanga, Kaimbatapara, Borobatapara, Fotamati, Maniganj, and Rongkhula in Meghalaya, and Rabha people living in West Bengal observe Rontuk Puja, which is similar to the Baikho Puja. “The festival is observed on the full moon of the Assamese ‘Jeth’ month, and this year it is between May and June.” Pradip Rabha also emphasized that they have a ‘Thaan’ (place of worship), which they believe was established by the Rabha king ‘Dodan’ in Dairong, Hatigaon, Dariduri, and Nadiapara. 

Also Read: Assam: Women wing of UPPL paid tribute to Birubala Rabha in Kokrajhar town (sentinelassam.com)

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