Assam: Rabha community observes Baikho Festival in Dudhnoi with traditional fervour

The Rabha community today observed the auspicious Baikho Festival, a traditional agrarian celebration deeply rooted in cultural and spiritual heritage. Marking its 26th edition this year, the festival commenced with sacrificial offerings to Goddess Baikho, including the ritualistic sacrifice of pigs and chickens as per age-old customs.

Organized by the Dudhnoi Regional Rabha Students’ Union, the festival is being celebrated over a vibrant two-day programme at Aya Baikho Dham in Udaypur, Dudhnoi. The religious proceedings began on Monday and are being carried out under the strict supervision of community priests who follow sacred rituals passed down through generations.

A highlight of the event is the “Barnakkai Dance”, a traditional fire dance performed by the Baibra (priests) in the evening. The Baibra undergo a symbolic test of purity and spiritual strength by dancing barefoot on burning embers—a spectacle that draws both awe and reverence from spectators.

The Baikho Festival holds significant cultural and agricultural importance among the Rabha people. Celebrated annually on the full moon day of the Assamese month of Jeth (May–June), the festival is a spiritual invocation for a bountiful harvest and protection from illness and natural calamities. Through this sacred observance, the community seeks blessings before initiating their annual agricultural activities.

As the flames rose and chants echoed through the sacred grove of Aya Baikho Dham, the Rabha people once again reaffirmed their devotion to tradition, resilience, and the rhythms of the land that sustains them.