A dream that made the Rhenock Shivalaya

Rhenock Shivalaya more than 100 years back

Sikkim is a spiritual place where historical presence springs out from every corner. It is here myths and legends are part of day-to-day life. No matter the days are not the same as it used to be some centuries ahead. Still facing the time immemorial are folklore and traditions of places that are being witnessed even to this date, while few got lost along its golden past and are just a part of memory, a sweet forgotten memory.

Here comes a story of a Shiv mandir in Rhenock that has been weaving in a tale frozen in time. The century-old Shivalaya near Bhanu Bhakta's statue at the heart of the bazaar is one of the many few doyens of the distant past. People say that this Mandir is in its present site ever since their parents were a child.

I met Sunder Kumar Pradhan, a former Panchayat member from Rhenock in his early 80s some time back and had heard a fascinating story of this mandir. According to Pradhan, this mandir has been in its present position ever since he was a child. He remembered visiting the mandir with his father when he was a child. Pradhan told an interesting narrative that goes: “During those days landlord inherited the land of Rhenock. The landowner of Rhenock then was one Rai Saheb Tulshi Das Pradhan. Once Rai Saheb had a strange dream. He saw in his dream a Sadhu informed him of the presence of a Shivling in the small pond present at Rhenock bazaar and asked him to construct a temple.

The next day he unfolded his dream with his associates as a result it was decided to empty the pond water. The water was emptied and as told by the mysterious Sadhu a Shivling was found on the bottom of the pond. A small mandir was then constructed with walls and a roof over the precious stone. Newar Samaj was formed and given the charge of the mandir. Later years land was owned and a house for Pujari was constructed”.

Sunder Pradhan recollected those days when Lakhey Dance (traditional Newari dance), Gai-Jatra (traditional Newari ceremony), Krishna aastami were performed in the mandir. Gai-Jatra, a religious ceremony held in the Newar community now has a tag of being performed at Rhenock. According to it, after the death of a male or female person a statue known as Basah in the Newari language is made. In the case of the female, the statue resembles a cow while for the male counterpart ox is made. The statue is made of paper, mud, cement, marble rock, pottery and others. These statues are kept in man-made Rath moved around the bazaar and returned back to the mandir. The higher the cart better the occasion, as it is told. It is believed that the ceremony would help the spirit of the departed person attain moksha.

Pradhan told Kumalay were trained Lakhey dancers. Man Singh Bhujel was one the last Kumalay Lakhey dancers who would thrill the gathering crowd. Pradhan also narrated that the dancers would wear traditional dress and masks. At one time there were four trained dancers. Ever since the death of the last Lakhey dancer some forty years back and lack of interest among the younger generations made the pride of Rhenock extinct. These celebrations are now a part of legend in Rhenock and in some way or the other, it is the loss of Rhenock that today’s generation fails to witness such tradition.