The 'Sakewa' festival, celebrated by the Kirat Khambu Rai community, belongs to which state?

Sakewa (also called Sakela) is the most important festival of the Kirat Khambu Rai community, celebrated in Sikkim, the Darjeeling hills of West Bengal and eastern Nepal. It is a festival of nature worship, celebrated mainly in spring, around the full moon of the month of Baisakh (April-May), before the sowing season.

Sakewa is celebrated to worship Mother Earth (Bhumi) and the forces of nature, and to pray for a good harvest, timely rain, and protection from natural calamities, drought, disease and pests. The Kirat people follow the Kirat religion (Kirat Mundhum), which is based on the worship of nature and ancestors. Among the Rai community, Sakewa has two parts: "Ubhauli", celebrated in spring before the sowing, when birds are believed to migrate upwards to the hills, and "Udhauli", celebrated in autumn after the harvest, when they migrate downwards. The rituals are performed by the priests (nakchhong) at a sacred place, often marked by stones, called the "Sakewa thaan".

The best-known part of the festival is the "Sakewa Sili" (Sakela Sili), a traditional group dance, in which men and women, dressed in their traditional costumes, dance in a circle to the beat of the "dhol" (drum) and the "jhyamta" (cymbals). The dancers imitate the movements of animals, birds and farming activities, such as sowing, planting and harvesting. The dance is led by a leader called the "silimangpa".

Sikkim is home to many communities, each with its own festivals, such as Losoong (Bhutias and Lepchas), Tamu Lochar (Gurungs), Sonam Lochar (Tamangs) and Chasok Tangnam (Limbus).

Why not the other options?

• ✗Meghalaya is known for festivals such as Wangala and Nongkrem.
• ✗Tripura is known for Kharchi Puja.
• ✗Mizoram is known for Chapchar Kut.