Khalsa’s Rai community in Shahidbhumi Rural Municipality, Dhankuta, is presently celebrating the Papani festival. It is a tradition that ignites happiness over the new harvest. The festival takes place for the first time on Tuesday, following Kartik Purnima, followed by a 15-day ritualistic musical dance. It is inherent to Rai culture and sacredly referenced in their Mundhum scriptures.
Image source: Radiant Treks
Worshiping the Khudhanga, the ancestor deity of the Rai people, marks the occasion. Every family organizes a customized ritual, performing pair doves offering to Khudhanga to fulfill their wish. The community will then participate in singing and the authentic Papani, which is characterized as dancing three steps forward and the other three steps backward in perfect rhythm according to the beat of drums and cymbals.
Local fairs bring life to areas like Khoku, Chhintang, and Aankhisalla, adding color and excitement to the festivities. Yet, as the older generation migrates and fewer Bijuwas (traditional Mundhum chanters) remain, the Papani tradition is fading. According to Narendra Rai, a local, the younger generation’s lack of interest in preserving this cultural gem is a growing concern.
Sahidbhumi Rural Municipality, with an 80% Rai population, sees about half its residents actively participating in the Papani festival. While evening celebrations draw larger crowds and visitors increase yearly, the number of dancers actively performing has decreased.
This year’s festival runs until the morning of next Tuesday, offering a mix of nostalgia and celebration. Whether participating or observing, the Papani festival remains a vibrant reflection of the Rai community’s heritage, inviting all to cherish its beauty before it’s lost to time.
Stay updated: Innovations at Alchemy 2024, Kathmandu University
