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Culture

Every society and community has its own unique culture and customs and its own traditional values ​​and beliefs. Similarly, the Rai People also has its own folk values, religious beliefs and social and cultural traditions.the life cycle of the Rais from birth to death are performed by their own mercury. Various Cultural occasions celebrated with pomp.the naming ceremony of baby perform after 6 days following for a baby boy and five days for a girl. in this special ceremony, the senior female of family member plays a role of priest.Mostly within Rai culture, wil woman conduct this ceremony.There are three types of marriages practiced by Rais namely arranged marriage, mutal aggreement or (love marrige) and marriage by fine payment or (Jari bibha) but Nowadays love marriage is most common in Rais. Rais cannot marry within his/her clans or “pachas” unless there is no further sub-division into “Pachas, for example a Chamling can marry some other Chamling or a Thulung can marry other Thulung if their “Pachas” Clans is different. Therefore blood relation is strictly prohibited for marriage. ‘liquor made from millet’ is used socially and culturally among Rai’s liquor is compulsory used in every ceremonies, practices and occasions of Rai Community.most of Rais can’t eat goat meat goat is considered as unholy animals there are various myths about the goat being considered an unclean animal in Rai culture .The dead body of Rai is buried in the particular place .Usually the burial places are some hills near by or near their own field. They have to buy the ground ritually keeping some coins on it they Before start digging the grave . Rais are"animists" and nature worshippers. the religion ,Which they follows is mainly worship of ancestors Maang(PitriPujas) and nature worship.Rais do not believe in heaven or hell.There is no Religious hierarchy.Rais engages Mangpa/Bijuwa/nakchong Their Tribal Shamans in their religious rites. during the course of their recent history the Rais has increasingly borrowed element from the major religions they have had contact with from Lamaist Buddhism or another cases Nepalese Hinduism without however renouncing their own tribal traditions.

Suptulung/Teen Chula:Three Heartstones “Chula Dhunga Worship In Rai Culture

‘’Suptulung’’ Three Heartstones Sacred Worship Place of Rai Community

Teen Chula/Chula Dhunga “The three hearth made stones” which is called Dayahullung,Suptulung,Samkhalung is the central part of the rituals or rites of Rais practiced from birth to death are done in Teen Chula(Suptulung). it is said that “Dash Rai Dash Bhasa Ek Chulha” “There is Same oven of ten different Rais.It is believed that Rais originally had only 10 sub-groups in thebeginning this Teen Chulha (Suptulung) also symbolic the unity among of all the Rais Group In one ethnic family and its a unique Cultural identity of Rais. the Major deity of all Rais is “Teen Chula” (Suptulung) “the three Stone oven” the house itself “the term lu or Lung refers to the Stone” and thus the suffix like lu or Lung is found in most of the names of oven in house eg;Siptilung,Mayalung,Ghewalung etc. Teen Chula(Suptulung) also known “Samkhalung” word “Samkha” means ancestors and “Lung” means stones.Different sub-tribes of the Rais have different names for the Samkhalung’s three stones (1) Papalung: symbolizing male ancestors, (2) Mamalung: symbolizing female ancestors, and (3) Ramilung: symbolizing societal spiritual energies. Suptulung is a sacred place after death where the Departed ancestors souls of the Rais live.Teen Chula philosophy (three knowledge / perspectives) as the distinctive original identity of Rais. in Rai culture “Teen Chula”Suptulung is the gate-way to enter the real and practical day to daylife. Mithology Of Suptulung/Teen Chula At the time of creation, when Sumnima-Paruhang ascended to the sky, Hongcha was alone on earth. He was very nervous. After that, Hongcha established Suptulung as the symbol of Sumnima-Paruhang. Hongcha buried the stove in the north-right part of Suptulung and said, ‘You are bankrupt. You give power to the ancestors of our family. To make longevity Protect from enemies. To bring happiness and peace.

Similarly, Hongcha buried the stove in the southern part of Suptulung and said, ‘You are Dimalung. You have to make your family happy. Wealth, food and shelter. To give wisdom. Protect from enemies. To bring happiness and peace. ‘ Again, Hongcha buried the stove in front of Suptulung at the main entrance and said, “You are Tayalung.” You have to entertain the guests who come to this family and maintain a good atmosphere in the family. Protect from enemies.To bring happiness and peace. ‘ After that, Hongchha named the three stoves of Suptulung as Divadhasanga, Dimalung and Tayalung respectively and considered them as symbols of different powers. He worshiped the Suptulung as a symbol of his ancestors. From that time onwards, the Kirat Rais considered Suptulung as the symbol of their ancestors and started worshiping their ancestors by throwing Mundum.

Geographical distribution

Rais originally hail from Nepal's eastern hills, the Traditional Homeland of Khambu’s extend Khotang, Bhojpur, Solukhambu, Okhaldhunga and Udayapur Districts but they now can be found in Illam, Panchthar, Sunsari, Morang, Jhapa . Significant number of Rai Population also found in Indian State of Sikkim , Nothern West Bengal Darjeeling and Kalimpong Districts .

Ethnographic Map Of Nepal (Native areas of ethnic/caste groups) Harka Gurung 1998

According to Nepal’s 2011 census, there are 620,004 Rai in Nepal which represents2.3% Country’s total population. Rai’s are major ethnic group by number in the Districts of Khotang (36.6%), Bhojpur (32.0%), Ilam (23.8%), Dhankuta (19.7%), Solukhumbu (19.6%), Udayapur (17.3%), Panchthar (13.8%), Sankhuwasabha (10.3%), Okhaldhunga (9.9%) and Morang (5.0%) .

Lifestyle

Farming is the main occupation of the Rai people. Mostly they cultivated maize, millet, wheat, mustard in dry terraces, and rice in the wet fields. The grains grown are mostly for their own daily needs such as to use in festivals and to feed the animals. Besides that they use it to make spirits and beer to sell at the bazazr at the local market. In almost all households women raise buffalo, pigs and chickens, and they run tiny provision stores for supplementary income, especially used to sell homemade beer and alcohol (Lee, 2005:16). In the past their profession was hunting and they liked to use bow and arrows, such as they used to weave their own clothes (Khandi) to wear. But in the modern times Rais are also employed in foreign military service and in foreign employment like the Indian and British armies.

Rai Sub-group

Rais are multilingual ethnic group linguistically they are divided into 25 to 28 lingustic sub-group called “thar”(Sect) within this “thars” they have their Own Languages and dialects At present there are 25 “Thars” Sub-group This division of the Rais into various sub-group allows for the minor alterations in the ritualistic practices while the essence of the traditions remains homogeneous largely.

• 25 Lingustic Subgroup Of Rais are:
• Athpariya
• Bantawa
• Chamling
• Kulung
• Thulung
• Khaling
• Sampang
• Dumi
• Nachhiring
• Yamphu
• Wambule
• Mewahang/Newahang
• Lohorung
• Bahing/Bayung
• Puma
• Chhintang
• Chhiling/Chhulung
• Dungmali
• Koi/Koyu
• Dumi
• Jerung
• Tilung
• Belhare
• Sam
• Phangduwali
• Lingkhim

Origin

According to the Mundum Mythology Kirati ancestors came out of the “Khuwalung” (sea or big river) meaning the Ganges river. Then followed the small river or the Saptakoshi. On their journey, they first met with a duck (hans), then a river bird (dhobi chara), a black bird (kalchuda), a deer (mirga), a thar, a musk deer (kasturi), etc. They journeyed through the Arunvalley, Dudh Koshi valley, Tama Koshi valley and finally settled down in the Bhote Koshi valley.

Language

Main article: Rai languages

The Rai languages is a member of the Sino-Tibetan language family. It belongs to the Kiranti group of the Tibeto-Burman languages branch of the Sino-Tibetan family.

Geographical distribution

Rais originally hail from Nepal's eastern hills, the Traditional Homeland of Rai’s extend Khotang, Bhojpur, Solukhambu, Okhaldhunga, Dhankuta, Sankhuwasabha and Udayapur Districts but they now can be found in Illam, Panchthar, Sunsari, Morang, Jhapa . Significant number of Rai Population also found in Indian State of Sikkim , Nothern West Bengal Darjeeling and Kalimpong Districts .

Rai traditional settlement and migration Grégoire Schlemmer 2018

According to Nepal’s 2011 census, there are 620,004 Rai in Nepal which represents2.3% Country’s total population. Rai’s are major ethnic group by number in the Districts are: Khotang (36.6%), Bhojpur (32.0%), Ilam (23.8%), Dhankuta (19.7%), Solukhumbu (19.6%), Udayapur (17.3%), Panchthar (13.8%), Sankhuwasabha (10.3%), Okhaldhunga (9.9%) and Morang (5.0%) .