Ashish Lohorung Rai

As you may or may not have heard the news from a horse’s mouth, on behalf of the team I would like to share a good news with you. Recently, Kirat Rai Yayokkha Sydney Australia (KRYSA) decided to participate in a Cultural Dance Competition organised by NINFA on the occasion to celebrate the World Indigenous Day 2011 (August 9) at Campsie. Under the Kirat Council Sydney, artists and volunteers spent at least a month to prepare a Sakela Dance and Chyabrung Dance for this event. Albeit the short time notice of rehearsals and preparations, with involved everyone’s sheer dedications and can-do attitude, we have pulled through a winning pair out of 6 contestant groups.

I am very much glad to share the good news that Kirat Limbu Chyabrung Dance was declared the winner and Kirat Rai Sakela Dance the runner-up. I would like to congratulate everyone of you (Kirat – Rai, Limbu, Yakkha and Sunuwar). And special Congratulations and a Big Thank you go to the Dance Artists and Volunteers.

Obviously, to make any event a worth while and success there will always be a bunch of volunteers’ efforts, contributions and dedications at the background. I would like to congratulate these volunteers and on behalf of the team, would like to extend a Big Thank you once again to followings:

Sakela Dance Artists:
1) Degana Rai
2) Bashodha Rai
3) Anupama Rai
4) Jyoti Rai
5) Shrijana Rai
6) Ram Kumar Rai
7) Naresh Rai
Sushil Tumbahangphe
9) Anand Lohorung Rai
10) Sanjay Rai

Song and Rhythm:
1) Narendra Rai
2) Santosh Rai
3) Pradeep Rai
4) Sashi Chandra Rai

Volunteers:
Food and Beverages: (during rehearsals)
1) Sashi Chandra Rai and Family
2) Mohan Rai and Family
3) Chitra Tumbahangphe and Family
4) Samir Bantawa and Family
5) Santosh Rai and Family
6) Ashok Rai and Family
7) Sashi Limbu and Family
Narendra Rai and Family
9) Raju Subba and Family
10) Major Bhala Rai and Family

Dress up and attires co-coordinator:
1) Bashodha Rai

Dresses and attires, jewelleries lenders/contributors
1) Barsha Rai
2) Bindya Subba
3) Menuka Rai
4) Sharmila Rai
5) Bisa Rai
6) Sumitra Rai (Ram’s mother)
4) Bona Rai

Dance Silli creator/contributor
1) Bashodha Rai
2) Degana Rai
3) Jyoti Rai
4) Ashish Lohorung Rai
5) Narendra Rai

Day before yesterday, we Kirat(Rai and Limbu) celebrated the main festival Ubhauli here at Steel Park Sydney. This Udhauli festival is called from different names from different groups. Such as Rai call it Sakela, Limbu call it Chasok Tangnam, and other might call it Bhume, Folsyandar etc.

This is celebrated two time in one year. Ubhauli is celebrated during the full moon of April/May to denote the commence of cultivation and farming where as Udhauli festival is celebrated during the full moon of November/December thanking gods for giving nice crops and harvesting. The program was organized by Kirat Ykthung Chumlung and Kirat Rai Yayokkha. It has been organizing the program every twice in a year. Chitra Tumbahangphe became the Silimangpa of Limbu. Chyabrung dance was also performed in the event. Dhol and Jhyamta were also used during dancing. The style of dance movement called sili were different for different ethnicity. Many kind of sili were performed including Chamling, Bantawa, Bahing, Limbu and Lohorung. Many attendees were dressed in cultural style. The women wore Chawbandi cholo and Guneu with patuka. The men wore Dhaka topi and daura suruwal.

The event went quite well except some misunderstandings with fooding of typical food like pork meat, beaten rice with Jhand (special kind of liquor of Kiratis). It was a great fun to be the part of the event.

सोई सोई ला हो हुर्रा हा हा …………….. !