Rai (ethnic group)

The Rai, also known as the Khambu (people of Khumbu region), is one of Nepal's most ancient indigenous ethnolinguistic groups. The Rai(Khambu) belong to the Kirati group or the Kirat confederation that includes the Limbu, the Sunuwar, Yakkha Dhimal, Koche, Meche, Jirel, Hayu ethnic groups.

The traditional homeland of the Rai(Khambu) extends across the Solukhumbu, the Okhaldhunga (Wallo Kirat or Near Kirat), home of the Bahing,Wambule subgroups), Khotang, Bhojpur and the Udayapur districts (Majh Kirat or Central Kirat) in the northeastern hilly/mountainous region of Nepal, west of the Arun River in the Sun Koshi River watershed. Rais are also found in significant numbers in the Indian state of Sikkim and in the northern West Bengal towns of Kalimpong and Darjeeling.

Description

According to Nepal's 2001 census, there are 635,751 Rai(Khambu) in Nepal which represents 2.79% of the total population. Of this number, 70.89% declared themseleves as practising the traditional (Kirati/Kirat) religion and 25.00% declared themselves as Hindu. Yakkha were measured as a separate ethnic group of which 81.43% were Kirant and 14.17% were Hindu. The Rai are divided into many different sub-groups - Bantawa, Chamling, Sampang, Dumi, Jerung, Kulung, Khaling, Lohorung, Mewahang, Rakhali, Thulung,Tamla, Tilung, Wambule, Yakkha, Yamphu, Sunuwar, Zero , etc. Some groups number only a few hundred members. The languages together with the traditional religion of the Rai is known as Kirant.

More than 32 different Kirati languages and dialects are recognized within the Tibeto-Burman languages family. The oral language is rich and ancient, as is Kirati history, but the written script remains yet to be properly organised as nearly all traces of it was destroyed by the next rulers of Nepal, The Lichhavis and almost eradicated by the Shah dynasty.

The traditional Kirati religion, predating Hinduism and Buddhism, is based on ancestor-worship and the placation of ancestor spirits through elaborate rituals governed by rules called Mundhum. Sumnima-Paruhang are worshipped as primordial parents. A major Rai holiday is the harvest festival, Nwogi, when fresh harvested foods are shared by all. The Bijuwa or Nakchhung (Dhami) or Priest plays an important role in Rai communities.

Because of the fiercely independent nature of the Rai community and its location at the eastern end of the consolidated Nepalese nation-state, the Rai were given exceptional rights of Kipat and land ownership in their homeland of Majh (middle) Kirat.

Subsistence agriculture of rice, millet, wheat, corn and even cotton is the main occupation of the Rai although many Rai have been recruited into military service with the Nepali army and police, and the Indian and British Gurkha regiments and Singapore Police Force.

Rai women decorate themselves lavishly with silver and gold coin jewellery. Marriage unions are usually monogamous and arranged by parents, although "love marriage",bride capture(in the past) and elopement are alternative methods. Music (traditional drums and string instruments: yele, binayo, murchunga, dhol and jhyamta), dance (Sakela or Sakewa dance) and distilled spirits (alcohol) called aaraakha, ngashi, or waasim are central to Rai culture.

Sakela or Sakewa dance is the greatest religious festival of Kirant Rai.

Despite lack of AFFIRMATIVE ACTION or RESERVATION in Nepal (it is being considered now for ethnic groups and other minorities!!), many Rais have reached high positions and contributed to National development.

Kirat History and Culture

Nepal is a very ancient country, which was ruled by many dynasties in the past. Among them, the Kirat rule is taken as a very significant one, being the longest period that extended from pre-historic to historic period. In ancient Hindu scriptures, Nepal is referred as the "Kirat Desh" or "the Land of Kirats".

When the 28th Kirat King Paruka was ruling in the valley, the Sombanshi ruler attacked his regime many times from the west. Although he successfully repelled their attacks, he was forced to move to Shankhamul from Gokarna. He had built a Royal Palace called "Patuka" there for himself. The Patuka Palace is no more to be seen, except its ruins in the form of mound. "Patuka" had changed Shankhamul into a beautiful town. The last King of the Kirat dynasty was Gasti. He proved to be a weak ruler and was overthrown by the Sombanshi ruler Nimisha. It brought to the end of the powerful Kirat dynasty that had lasted for about 1225 years.

After their defeat, Kirats moved to the eastern hills of Nepal and settled down divided into small principalities. Their settlements were divided into three regions; namely, "Wallo-Kirant" or "near Kirant" that lied to the East of Kathmandu, "Majh-Kirat" or "central Kirat" and "Pallo-Kirat" that lied to the far east of the Kathmandu valley. These regions are still heavily populated by Kirats. Rai(Khambu) are the inhabitant of near and central Kirat. Although, they are also quite densely populated in "pallo-Kirat". [ "Online caste ethnicity Data" by Government of Nepal at http://www.cbs.gov.np/Population/Caste%20Ethinicity%20Population.pdf]

By religion, Kirats were originally nature worshippers. They worshipped the sun, the moon, rivers, trees, animals and stones. Their primeval ancestors are Paruhang and Sumnima. Hinduism was introduced to and imposed on the Kirats only after the conquest of Gorkhali rulers whose root was in India. Kirats were quite tolerant and liberal to other religions. That was why Buddhism flourished during the Kirat rule in Nepal. Buddhism had rekindled a new interest and attitude among the people. Kirats had also built many towns. Shankhamul, Matatirtha, Thankot, Khopse, Bhadgoan and Sanga were prosperous cities with dense population. Thus, it can be safely said that the Kirat period had paved the way for further development and progress of Nepal in all sectors in future.

Famous Rais

*As Personal Opinions vary between different members of the Rai(Khambu) Community, And as there seems to be a lack of a set standard for measuring "Fame" this section is edited out until the Rai Organisation Kirat Rai Yayokkha [http://www.kiratraiyayokkha.com] [ http://www.kiratraiyayokkha.com] officially produces a list.

ee also

*Kirat
*Sakela

References

*History of Kirats, online book [http://www.limbulibrary.com.np/pdf/HISTORY%20&%20CULTURE-Iman.pdf]
* [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/print/np.html CIA Fact Book]
* [http://www.nepaldemocracy.org/ethnicity/nationalities_of_nepal.htm Rastriya Janajati Bikas Samiti]
* [http://www.welcomenepal.com/emuseum.asp Nepal Ethnographic Museum]
* [http://www.opgenort.nl Wambule and Jero]
* [http://robbie.eugraph.com/thesis/kirantib.html Kiranti Languages]
*Bista, Dor Bahadur. (2004). People of Nepal. Kathmandu: Ratna Pustak Bhandar.
* [http://www.manang.com/People25.htm Rai/Limbu]
* [http://www.kiratrai.org The Kirat Rai Association's Web Portal ]
* Article about Sakela or Sakewa: [http://www.nepalnews.com.np/contents/englishdaily/ktmpost/2003/jun/jun04/features.htm]
*Kirat Rai ko Mundhum by Bal Krishna Mukarung(2007)
*www.kryuk.com,Official Web site of Kirat Rai Yayokkha,United Kingdom
*http://www.nefin.org.np ,Official Web Site of Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities,Kathmandu,Nepal.
*http://www.chamling khammatim.com
*http://www.kirat.us
*http://www.unitedkiratrai.org
*http://www.kryuk.com

External links

* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sakela] Sakela Festival
* [http://www.kirat.us] Kirat-Rai Society of America.
* [http://krsa.blogspot.com] Kirat-Rai Society of America Blog.
* [http://www.kiratisaathi.com] Online kirat community.
* [http://www.kryuk.com] . Kirat Rai yayokkha UK.
*http://www.kirat.us
*http://www.kryuk.com
*http://www.unitedkiratrai.org