The Khelma or Khelma/Sakachep are one of the Kuki of the Mizo tribe in Assam, India.
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The Khelma tribe is one of the smallest tribes in the Kuki community. They mainly inhabit areas of Assam's Dima Hasao, Cachar and Karbi Anglong districts. The Khelma/Sakachep tribe are found in the Jaintia hills in Meghalaya, while some live in the Peren district in Nagaland. Their life style and habitat closely resemble the other tribes of the Kuki or the Mizo Community. Among the inhabitants of the N.C. Hills district, the Sakachep (also known as Khelmas) are one of the smallest community. The Khelmas are similar in language, customs and traditions to the Hrangkhols and Baites. They cremate their dead like the Vedic Hindu in olden days. However, 90 % of the population are Christians today. They are entirely dependent on agriculture for their livelihood.
There are many clans in the Khelma community. They are Saithuvai, Vaichei, Sumtinkha, Thirsu, Neibom, Kholum, Telengsing, Langkai,Kelphung and Nisatarai.
The Khelmas also celebrate different festivals which are connected with the worshiping of different gods and goddess during the year. Rabu-khat, Parsem, Inmathung and Rabuthum are such festivals. Rabuthum is the most important of all the ceremonies of the Khelmas. Parsem Kut is one of the biggest festivals they celebrate in the month of April, which is an age-old traditional shifting jhum cultivation. The Khelmas have a good number of folk songs for different occasions, the songs are generally slow.
The traditional attire and ornaments of the Khelmas are very interesting. The women wear strings of different beads and coins around their neck. Today, majority of the young boys and girls of the villages wear pants, shirts and traditional Mekhela. The older men simply wear a dhuti.
The Khelmas bear a close resemblance to the Hrangkhols and the Biate, in language, customs and tradition. The main traditional Gods and deities of the Khelmas are Angera, Debi Maka saichkri Rajaram Mokolraja. The traditional social administration of the ‘‘Khelams’’ is known as the Chep Halam, it is headed by a Kalim and Kabur. In the Khelmas community, the young man has to serve his father-in-law for four years before he is allowed to take his wife home. This system is called the Maksa. The Khelmas also celebrate different festivals, which are connected with worship of different gods and goddesses during the year.
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