Sunday, April 29, 2012

Sakela Ubhauli

Sakela Ubhauli" is the soul of Kirat Rai Culture and it is the main spiritual source that brings us all together regardless of our differences in languages, clans, subclans, pachhas and locations.


The Rai are worshippers of nature. When th...e wildlife (birds and animals) begins moving to the high hills of the Himalayan ranges while the seeds sown in the fields by RAI grow and bloom with flowers, the R...AI perform Sakewa puja (Ubhowli -... usually falling in the months of April or May) 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 puja is led by the Mangpa / Bijuwa (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. During Sakewa puja instruments such as the dhol (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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