Sartang community celebrates Lha Shoiba festival
The Sartang community of Chenden (Rahung), Tinghe (9 Mile), Warjung, Shutu (Darbu) and 6 Mile areas celebrated Lha Shoiba, a centuries-old week-long religious festival at Old Rahung village in West Kameng district.
The festival concluded on Sunday.
While ‘Lha’ means God, ‘Saiba’ refers to performing rituals to appease Phu Manzang Mani, the mountain god of good harvest who is also believed to protect people from calamities and their ensure well-being.
“Lha Saiba is an age-old religious belief, and has been celebrated since ancient times. In this ritual, we offer food, fruits and other food items to satisfy our guardian deity Phu Manzang Mani and seek his blessings,” said Tsering Wangchu Ngoimu, a resident of the village.
The village’s chief priest leads the ritual, which includes offerings of cheese and smoked fish in addition to fruits, delicacies, and local wine. Villagers gathered at the ritual site and made offerings seeking blessings of the deity.
The five-day rituals included expelling evil spirits and other negativity from the village and a life-liberation ceremony in which some cows were released as offerings to Phu Manzang Mani.
