Baikho Festival: Assam celebrates annual festival for good rain and harvest

[caption id=“attachment_10771501” align=“alignleft” width=“640”] Indian Rabha tribal girls in traditional attire bring offerings before they perform a tribal Rabha dance during Baikho festival at Gamerimura village along the Assam Meghalaya border, west of Gauhati, India. Every year, the community in India’s northeastern state of Assam celebrates the festival, to please a deity of wealth and ask for good rains and a good harvest. AP[/caption]                       [caption id=“attachment_10771511” align=“alignleft” width=“640”] An Indian Rabha tribal Hindu priest runs barefoot over burning charcoal as part of rituals during Baikho festival at Gamerimura village. AP[/caption]                       [caption id=“attachment_10771531” align=“alignleft” width=“640”] Rabha tribal girls in traditional attire hold earthen pots filled with traditional rice beer to serve Rabha Hindu priests after they walk barefoot over burning charcoal as part of rituals. AP[/caption]                       [caption id=“attachment_10771551” align=“alignleft” width=“640”] An Indian Rabha tribal girl in traditional attire prepares a Hindu priest before he dances around burning charcoal as part of rituals during Baikho festival. AP[/caption]                       [caption id=“attachment_10771581” align=“alignleft” width=“640”] An Indian Rabha tribal girl in traditional attire with face smeared with rice flour pours rice beer as holy water to a Hindu priest after he walks barefoot over burning charcoal as part of rituals during Baikho festival. AP[/caption]                       [caption id=“attachment_10771611” align=“alignleft” width=“640”] An Indian Rabha tribal Hindu priest serves traditional rice beer to the Rabha women in traditional attire as holy water during Baikho festival. AP[/caption]                       [caption id=“attachment_10771621” align=“alignleft” width=“640”] Indian Rabha tribal Hindu priests perform rituals before burning wood during Baikho festival at Gamerimura village. AP[/caption]                       [caption id=“attachment_10771631” align=“alignleft” width=“640”] Indian Rabha tribal Hindu priests burn wood during Baikho festival at Gamerimura village along the Assam Meghalaya border. AP[/caption]