Death is a known truth to all living beings, including humans; although universal, perspectives differ. Social researchers, including anthropologists, have always been interested in and have closely studied how people deal with death, because “customary responses to death provide an important opportunity for sensitive probing into the nature of human life” (Huntington and Metcalf, 1991: 25). Death related beliefs and practices provide a window for viewing a society’s social organizations, cultural values, and world views. With a long-term perspective, this window can also allow us to see mechanisms of culture change and cultural adaptation to new socio-economic circumstances (Gang, 2015). The Rai community is one of the largest communities in Sikkim. They claim their ancestry to the historical Kirat people of the Himalayas. Traditionally, they are animists with unique cultures, religions, languages, and identities. The Samkhalung/Suptulung is a sacred entity in traditional Rai households, where the ancestors reside, and all rituals are solemnized. In fact, all rites of passage, including death
rituals, remain incomplete without the presence of Samkhalung/Suptulung because the community strongly believes that it is a gateway to ancestral land and is impossible for Nokcho/ Mangpa (shamans) to guide souls in their afterlife journey. However, various socio-cultural changes have led to the marginalization of their indigenous belief systems related to Samkhalung/ Suptulung. This has raised doubts among some community members about their afterlife. Thus, this paper discusses the importance of Samkhalung/Suptulung in the Rai community and its relevance to death. As very few anthropological studies have been done regarding this topic, the paper is based on ethnographic fieldwork in various Rai regions in Sikkim. It brings critical perspectives on the sociocultural importance of Samkhalung/Suptulung and its importance to death among the Rai community in Sikkim.
