Sakela/Sakhewa Dance as a Performance of Kirant Rai Identity

Abstract

This thesis analyses how Sakela Sili is a mark of cultural identity of Kirant Rai community. It closely observes the methods of observing the festivals, Silis, songs, nature, history, and activities that are performed in the festival. This paper, hereby, claims that Sakela essentially serves as an emblem of cultural identity in a sense that it incorporates, strengthens and preserves Kirant Rai language, songs, literature, culture, philosophy and principles of living. Moreover, Sakela unleashes history, civilization and evolution of Rai clan. Similarly, Sakela sili is assumed to have begun with the commencement of agrarian civilization. For the justification of the arguments, this paper brings theoretical concepts from Richard Schechner who has theorized the concept of performance in terms of theatre and ritual. He argues that performances mark the identities and bend time. It reshapes and adorns the body, and tells stories. Performances such as of art, rituals, or ordinary life are made of twice- behaved behaviors, known as restored behaviors, and of performed actions that people train to do, that they practice and rehearse. Similarly, the paper uses Stuart Hall’s theory of cultural identity who, unlike his second version of cultural identity, defines the cultural identity in terms of one and shared culture. This version of definition focuses on our cultural identities that reflect the common historical experiences as well as shared cultural codes. Thus, cultural identity treats people as one people in common. This is supposed to be stable and unchanging.