page_title: Rabha tribe
section_title: Religion
hierarchical_section_title: Rabha tribe / Religion
caption_attribution_description: English: Rabha girls in traditional costumes are dancing with arms, in a dancing session in a Rabha forest village (Gosaihaat, Gayarkata) in West Bengal.
context_page_description: Rabha, also, Rava, etc., are an indigenous Tibeto-Burman community of Nepal, Bhutan, Thailand, Myanmar, and Bangladesh, and the Indian states of Assam, Meghalaya and West Bengal. The language/dialect spoken by the Rabha people is mostly Rabha, a Tibeto-Burman language, as well as Assamese. In Assam, the Rabhas live mostly in Goalpara, Kamrup, Kokrajhar, Udalguri, and Baksa districts; and also in some places of Bongaigaon, Chirang, Sonitpur, and Karbi Anglong districts. In Meghalaya, Rabhas are mostly found in Garo Hills districts. In West Bengal, Rabha people mainly live in Jalpaiguri district, Alipurduar district and Cooch Behar district. The whole area of Eastern and Western Dooars may be termed as the cradle land of the Rabhas. The Rabhas refer to themselves as Koch, and assert a connection to the historical Koch Kingdom in part of West Bengal.
  “ Nak kocha machah
  Nak kochah chih cha
  Nemrosong
  Kwnchwkwn... ”
context_section_description: Rabha people traditionally practice a few animistic rituals. However, today they more often follow a faith, which is a blend of some Hindu and a few animistic rituals. There are considerable differences in ritual practices among forest Rabhas who still live in the forest villages and the Rabhas that live in the villages as cultivators. The forest Rabhas follow traditional animistic practices tinged with some rituals of mainstream Hinduism. On the other hand, village Rabhas have merged with local Hindus as far as their religious practices are concerned. There are Rabhas who follow Christianity.
  Rabha people's religious world is pervaded with various spirits and natural objects. The main deity of the Rabhas is called Rishi. Rishi, for the forest Rabhas as well as village Rabhas, is a male deity. He is also known as Mahakal. Forest Rabhas worship him in all important social and religious ceremonies.
caption: Rabha girls are dancing in their traditional costumes in a forest village in West Bengal
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