SILIGURI WITNESSED ‘KADO KHELA’ RITUAL THROUGHOUT THE DAY

By R. Subrata (TNI Siliguri)  |  TNI Editing Siliguri

Webdesk, TNI Siliguri, 26^th August, 2016: Kado Khela is a ritual performed by the Rajbonshi community here in North Bengal, Assam and Northern Bangladesh. It’s a normal puja is performed within the family members. After the puja finishes, prasad is distributed to the puja performers. The main attraction lies outside when the villagers or the community members perform the ‘Kado Khela’, an entertainment ritual. This is also called ‘Dahikada’. The game is played between two groups in a field specially created with mud. A long bamboo is erected in the middle of the mud field, which is also painted with slippery oil. Each team competes to touch the bamboo with a coconut. The team who touches the bamboo maximum times is declared the winner. At the end, the winning team members are allowed to climb the oil drenched bamboo to the top which is tied with a Kalash (handi) filled with money, vermillion box, fruits and Dahi (curd).

Siliguri, especially in the areas of Shivmandir, Ghogomali, Sahudangi, Eastern Bypass etc. areas where the people from Rajbonshi community live in large number, also saw this game being played with much pomp and energy. Children enjoyed themselves while drenching themselves in the muddy waters because this is the time when parents are not going to stop them.

Photos: R. Subrata (TNI), Bikash Roy (Siliguri)