Kirat Khambu Rai Literary & Cultural Socaity

The culture of Rais is based on the tradition of their own Kirat religion. The child is named four days after birth, following which the Rai priest (Bijuwa or Ngopa) lifts the head of the mother and child after performing special ceremonies and gives a name to the child (Toba, 1992:19). During the initiation ceremony, the rope used for tethering cows is used. Love marriage with agreement between both partners is common. Whatever the type of marriage, however, those from the boy’s side have to go with alcohol and gifts (sagun) to the girl’s house and ask for their consent and offer apologies. The Rais do not marry their maternal uncle’s and aunt’s daughters, though there is a practice of marrying one’s windowed elder sister-in-law. The dead are buried, although some also cremate the dead or leave the body in a river to flow with the current. These customs vary among the different subgroups of Rais. After abstaining from eating three meals and from eating salt and oil for five meals, the...

  This panel seeks to explore how cultural transfers across the international border between East-Nepal and the Sikkim-Darjeeling region contribute to shape the region and people’s agency, knowledge and practices. It brings together studies on cultural transfers within these borderlands in various fie id: s1eqe Convenors: · Martin Gaenszle   Department of South Asian, Tibetan and Buddhist Studies (Vienna, Austria) · Prem Chhetri   CIRDIS University of Vienna (Vienna, Austria) Long Abstract The Singalila region has been a borderland region since the early 19th century. The international border between East-Nepal and the Sikkim-Darjeeling region of India has split up the local population along the lines of nation-states and citizenship. This is particularly manifest in the case of the Kiranti, a cluster of ethnic groups which includes the Limbu, Rai, Sunuwar and Yakha (and some others) who share a common memory as well as similar and interconnected cultural practices. Follo...

  Written by Dev Khambu राईहरुले टाउकोमा बेरेर लगाईने फेटा जस्तो परिहनलाई सायाबुङ भनिन्छ। सायाबुङलाई खस नेपालीमा रुपान्तर गर्दा “शिरको फुल” भन्ने अर्थ लाग्छ (बान्तावामा)। राईहरुले सायाबुङलाई छेन्छोक्ली (हिमाल टाकुरा) को प्रतिक मान्ने गरेकोले यो सेतो रगंको हुन्छ। सामान्यता टाउकोमा लगाउने सायाबुङ १२ हात लामो (लगभग ५ मिटर) हुने गर्दछ र यसलाई टाउकोमा मिलाएर बेरिन्छ। यो किराती खम्बु राई पुरुषहरुको टाउकोमा लगाउने परिहन हो, जो उहिले देखी हाम्रा पुर्खाहरुले लगाउदै आएको मानिन्छ। माङपा, धामी, नाम्छोङ तथा मुन्दुमी ज्ञान भएका विद्वानहरुले सायाबुङको केही भाग कुम सम्म आउने गरी पुच्छर जस्तो निकालेर लगाएका हुन्छन् भने साधारण राईपाहरुले सायाबुङको सम्पूर्ण भाग टाउको वरिपरी मिलाएर बेरेको हुन्छन्। बिवाहमा र शिर उठाउने विषेश परम्परागत समारोहहरुमा विधिपुर्वक सायाबुङ लगाईन्छ। तर अन्य सामान्य समयमा टाउको छोप्ने उदेश्यले सायाबुङको प्रयोग गरिन्छ। सायाबुङ जुनै पनि समयमा परिहन गर्न सकिन्छ। सायाबुङ टाउको छोप्ने लामो कपडा मात्र हैन, यसको बहुमुखी प्रयोगहरु छन् : जस्तै: उहिले लडाईको समयमा खुकुरी-तलवारको प्रहारबाट...

  Written by Pradeep Khambu Rai The Khambu Rai have a very unique method of healing with the use of flowers through Flower shamans (Mangpas) known as Bung Mangpa, to summon peace and prosperity. It is believed that the human body parts of all Khambus are adorned with different and rare flowers of the mountains, hills and the plains. An impure body would cause these flowers to move from their usual position, or could wither away thereby creating health problems.   In order to have mental composure and good health, the body flowers need to be in their correct positions. The respective places and positions of the flowers must remain unmoved. Such traditions though quite popular in the ancient times, is now on the brink of disappearnce. This ritual is normally observed right after Udhauli and is known as Bungwa Bakma. The Mangpa has an assistant called Chuptungmi who in turn has an assistant called Dengsungmi who helps pick the flowers required for this ritual. These flowers usual...

    https://fb.watch/21BnEuhrs6/ 0 176             Every community has its own religious and traditional practices which makes them unique from others. However, in these modern times, the practice and the essence of these age-old rituals have seen a decline. One such tradition that is losing its lustre is of the   Mangpas . Mangpa   or a priest of the Rai community is slowly losing its importance and value among the younger generation. Once invited in every Rai household to perform important traditional and religious rites and rituals, the use of the   Mangpas   has seen a steady decline through these years. Ran Bahadur Rai,   Mangpa   or a priest of the Rai community Ran Bahadur Rai, a 60-year-old   Mangpa   feels that the younger generation should come forward to protect and preserve this tradition of the Rai community. Ran Bahadur, who is presently serving at the   Mangkhim   (temple of the Rai ...

  Written by Pradeep Khambu Rai Ever since I’ve started working for Kirati Khambu Rai Sanskritik Sansthan (KKRSS) and added “Khambu” as my middle name on Facebook, my non-Khambu friends have somehow become appalled. They call me a racist and communal, maybe in jest or seriously, I shall never know. I have also met a fairly large amount of Khambu friends who talk about “globalization” and “liberalism” and that what we follow are actions based on bigotry and are so primitive that we should do away with barbaric customs and evolve along with the rest of the world. After thorough arguments with such people, these days when I am asked if I am a racist, I’ve started to answer, “Yes, I am”. The truth is, I think, everyone is a racist. But while I am a hardcore ‘racist’ believing in Khambu glory; a girl who dyes her hair brown, a boy who gets a Korean haircut, or a man who wants to look like Bradley Cooper, well, they are racists too ! The only difference is that while some of us are exter...

  Sakewa :  H.H. Risley in his book, "The Gazetteer of Sikkim (1884) while reflecting the total population of Sikkim, mentioned ‘Rai’, ‘Khambu’ and ‘Jimdar’ as different communities but in reality these names mean a single community which is popularly known as the Rai community. Rai is and was also known as Kirata, Khambu and Jimdar. The term Kirata has a wider connotation and the term is also found in Puran, Upadnishad or the old Vedas and it covers Rai, Limbu, Sunwar, Gurung, Manger, Tamang and all but presently only Rai community uses this term. As per the census of Sikkim in 1884, the total strength of Rai community was in third position, but Mr. Risley put it at random owing to the reason mentioned already. In this former Himalayan kingdom, the Rai people used to perform Sakewa puja from ancient time in the villages of the state but following the recognition of their language by the Government, the people began to perform the puja in a more organised manner. Indeed, the s...

    -          प्रभात सिवाहाङ राइ सुख्खिम (सिक्किम) भारताओ झारादाङ्का अचित्को सेम्योग्मि, खान्नुमि नाचुङ्खा लुङ्वाङ याआङ । ओ सुख्खिम सन् १९७५ बुदातारि उक हेन्कोप याआङानालो सन् १९७५ मइ १६ ओ लेनदाङ्का विदिवत भारताओ ११ वा लुङ्वाङ लिसाओ याआङ । सुक्खिमओ कोम (क्षेत्रफल) २ भोम ८ बोम कि १८ वर्गमाइल याआङ्नालो ओ ७० माइल बेङ्वाहोन-युवाहोन ओन्कि ४० माइल बुसुहोन-देङ्सुहोनदा थङाओ याआङ । ओ लुङ्वाङओ सिन्चोम बुसुहोन लिप भुटान, देङसिहोन लिप नेपाला, बेङ्वाहोन लिप चिना ओन्कि युवाहोन लिप नोक्चिया लुङ्वाङ पस्चिम बङ्गाल सुत्दा टुआओ याआङ । सुख्खिमओ मनाभुङ खिप्खाला (जनसङ्ख्या) ६ सुपि ४० भोम कापाङ याआङ्नालो ओदा ८०% नेपालि ङायुवाओ युङ्कावाचिओ युङ्खाम याआङ । ओवात्‍निङा ओदाओ झारा मनाभुङ खिप्खालाओ २०% किरावा राइचिओ मनाभुङ खिप्खाला याआङ । ओ २०% निओ १ सुपि २८ भोम किरावा राइचिदाङ्का सुख्खिमदा युङमा लियाङओ याआङ । ओवात्‍नि सुख्खिमदा झारादाङका बड्ढे किरावा राइचिओ मनाभुङ खिप्खाला याआङ । सिक्किमओ लावाछाप सुख्खिमदा झारा ओचिओ किरावा रावा-पाछाचिदाङका युङमा लियाङओ याआङ्नालो ओदाओ किरावा राइचिदा...