Gamerimura: The Rabha tribal community celebrated ‘Baikho Puja’, an annual festival of the tribe at Gamerimura village under Boko LAC along the Assam- Meghalaya border in Assam’s Kamrup district on Wednesday.
The festival is celebrated to propitiate the prosperity of the community and the success of the harvest. The Gamerimura regional units of All Rabha Students’ Union (ARSU), All Rabha Women Council (ARWC) and Six Schedule Demand Committee (SSDC) jointly organized the day long festival at Gamerimura playground.
Tankeswar Rabha, Chief Executive Member of Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council (RHAC) took part as chief guest along with deputy chairman of RHAC Ramakanta Rabha and others.
All three regional organizations also felicitated the students who passed the recently declared HSLC examination from the Gamerimura area. On the occasion, Rabha traditional game ‘lewa tana’ (tug-of-war) was played among the boys and girls of the area.
Rohini Rabha, the main Priest of the Baikho Puja said that the puja or the rituals started early morning. Pig sacrifice, incense burning and worship the gods and goddesses were done as part of the ritual.
“This is our traditional annual puja. During the Baikho Puja we worship our thirteen gods and goddesses for good harvest, for childern’s progress in education, for no scarcity of water, to prevent sickness and to remove evil and misfortune. Moreover, we annually celebrate the puja for the comprehensive development of our Rabha tribal community” said Rohini Rabha.
Rohini Rabha also said that the festival is celebrated not only in Assam’s RHAC area, but across the state of Meghalaya as well.
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A thrilling part of the Baikho puja is the last ritual ‘Barnakkai’ which is the fire test dance where priests perform the fire test dance for fulfillment of their wishes by the gods and goddesses they worship.
CEM Tankeswar Rabha said that the Baikho festival is celebrates in the Rabha inhabited areas. It is celebrated annually during the Assamese month ‘Jeth’. Tankeshwar Rabha then said, ” Festivals represent the identity of a community, festival conveys a message of harmony and love among different ethnic groups in a region and I personally believe that this festival will bind everyone together.”
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