Assam: Fire test dance captivates audience at Rabha's colorful Baikho festival in Kamrup district

Rabha tribal community's annual colorful festival 'Baikho' was observed at Gamerimura village in Kamrup district along the Assam- Meghalaya border on Saturday including rituals to observe the Baikho Puja. 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 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 God and goddesses. Rabha also mentioned that Ghila Guti (African dream seeds) and Soko (Rice beer) are important things including other things for the Baikho Puja Festival.   

During the festival, a felicitation program was organized by All three regional organizations and also felicitated fifty-five students who passed recently in the HSLC and HS examinations from the Gamerimura area. Ashok Nongbag, general secretary of the ARSU Kamrup District, and many other guests took part in the facilitation program. Meanwhile, various Rabha traditional dances performed in the festival. 

Rohini Kumar Rabha, the head priest of the Baikho Puja said that as a part of the festival, Rabha's traditional game ‘lewa tana’ (tug-of-war) was also organized among the priests, boys and girls of the area by burning incense and worshiping 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 good harvest, for children's progress in education, for no scarcity of water, for people will not get sick and to remove evil and misfortune. Moreover, we annually celebrate the puja for the comprehensive development of our 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 part of the Baikho puja and also the last ritual of the Puja. Rabha tribal priests apply rice powder paste on their bodies just before performing the 'Barnakkai' dance. After that, they prepare a fire and make it fire with charcoal and they perform the fire test dance to fulfill their wishes by worshiping Gods and Goddesses. Before the 'Barnakkai', the Rabha tribal priests also observe a ritual which is called 'Killabhanga' and it is observed for power.

Pradip Rabha, Vice president of the All Rabha Students' Union (ARSU) said that the festival is observed in various places Kamrup, Goalpara, Udalguri, Tamulpur, Bhergaon, and many other places in Assam state. 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 also 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 month." Pradip Rabha. Rabha also emphasized that they have 'Thaan' (Place of worship) which they believe was established by the Rabha king 'Dodan' in Dairong, Hatigaon, Dariduri, and Nadiapara.