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On this festival young
couples are united for their
future. The festival is
announced earlier and all the
preparation are done before –
hand. The festival begin with a
variety of programs and
merrymaking.
First day (Hega Teu Dap)
: On
this day, all the killing of
animal for festival are done in
every household and those who
have no such animal either buy
or share with other member. On
this day itself the eldest of
the family call all his grandsons
and daughters for a common meal
to his house. Here they share
special songs which are composed
especially for their grandsons
and daughters. The Grandsons and
daughters have to wear new
shawls for the special occasion.
In the evening, the engaged
couple, specially the bride,
will present all the traditional
dress like shawl and other
garments. Together with the boys
and the elders there will be a
common gathering at the
bridegrooms Morung (The bride
and the bridegroom are
included).
Second day (Herie Kap) : on the
second day of the festival the
gatekeeper of the main gate will
have a special and separate
prayer invoking the protection
of the almighty to the villagers
and to shower his blessings in
all walks of life for the year to
come. After the prayer, he would
go to a jungle and there also he
would also offer special prayer
asking god to show him the
right tree for the sacrifice.
When it is shown the youth will
cut it and shape it into a
hornbill and put it up in the
main gate with decoration and
other necessary things.
In the evening, the elders and
the boys will make noise (Nro)
and go up and down the whole
village for two or three times
and at the end they will try to
pierce the heart of the wooden
hornbill. If they manage it then
it is good luck. Richness and
blessing will be bestowed on his
children.
After this all men and boys
will gather in their own Morung
to offer special prayer for good
luck in hunting.
Third Day (Tsing Rak) : On this
day early in the morning, the
brides will gather all the girls
from her Khel. They will go to
the jungle to cut firewood for
the evening. This firewood is
split into small pieces and the
bark is also taken out. The
firewood will be fresh only. In
the meantime, the elders and
youth from the Khel will go to
jungle and cut a big tree which
is shaped after which colour is
put on the two wooden pieces
showing the purity and virginity
of the bride.
In the evening, the bride will
carry the two wooden pieces
which signify her life. The
firewood and the wooden pieces
are kept in the main gate or the
last gate of the village. With
this two heavy wooden pieces (ten
to twelve in height) the bride
will start from the gate and the
rest of the girls and boys will
carry the firewood and follow
the bride to the girls Morung.
On this night, the bridegroom
will provide food and drinks to
the girls in the Girl’s Morung.
Fourth Day (Rodi) : The fourth
day and the last day of the
festival is the most important
day of the festival. In the
morning, the boy will prepare a
place for long jump and
wrestling (a place which is set
apart by their (forefathers). On
this day traditional dresses
like shawls and other garments
are worn.
In the evening, all the villager
will gather at the particular
place where long jump and
wresting takes place. The men and
boys will make noise (Nro) and
go up and down the village for 3
times. After this they will come
to the jumping place and make
noised two time again (invoking
god to bless the villagers for
their work). Then (Nro) the long
jump will take place and after
that the wrestling. The winner
of long jump will have to give
in kind or in cash to the
village high priest. Then there
will be singing together with
the bride up and down the
village. The songs are of love
praise and farewell to the bride
and the bridegroom, especially
to the bride, because she can
never take part again in dance
or in such practice.
At night the bride visit each
household encouraging them, boys
and girls to take part in the
dance. For the elders (men), she
will prepare special soup from
meat and give them for their
health and strength to
participate in the dance.
Last Day (Koksui) : It is the
last and most important and
exciting day of the festival.
Here you will see early in the
morning people putting on their
traditional dress getting ready
for the dance. The bride,
together with some of their
friends would go round the
village and give bath to those
who are unwilling to join the
dance. For the bride it is the
last days in her life (a girl
married cannot join the dance
again). This dance can be
participated only by virgin
girls. For boys and men, whether
they are married or not, they
can dance all through their life if
their health permit.
The dance are performed in the
evening with different steps and
meaning. After the dance. All
the dancer will go around the
whole village singing and
dancing, at some place they
would play games and sing songs
together with the bride and
bridegroom.
From the first day of the
festival a new fire is lit by
the eldest from each Khel and
these elders have to take only
pork throughout the festival.
Also, during the festival, no
male should sleep with his wife
for fear of losing good luck
and courage especially in
hunting. On the sixth day,
elders put off the new fire and
celebrate. But the rest of the
villager can start their work
from that day onwards with all
the blessing and luck from
Almighty God who always care for
his children.
CHENGA GADI : Chenda Gadi is
another important and popular
festival of the Zeliang people.
The genesis of this festival
marks the people’s belief that
on this day the Almighty shower
blessing and bring good harvest
and health. However, the date
for the celebration often
differs between communities and
village which usually is fixed
according to their conveniences.
The Liangmai community celebrate
this festival usually in the
last part of the Chegahiu
(October).
Earlier, the forefathers observed
this festival for a duration of
4-5 days. However, the duration
is reduced to 3-4 days in time
of any casualty. The people wait
anxiously even at mid night to
see the first new moon which is
believed to be a boon and being
blessing of God. After the
appearance of the moon the
priest of the village (Sungkupiu) makes
an announcement and the people
makes necessary preparations
such as dresses, attires, food
and drink. After all the
preparation are over, the priest
makes another announcement as a
prelude to the festival. The
next morning, the youth of the
village, men and women folk
go to the jungle to cut firewood
and bring them to their
respective Morungs. At noon the
men folk go to make new cups and
plates out of a bamboo to be
used only in the festival. In
the evening, the men folk again
will go to draw water to be used
in the Morung. From this day
onwards a separate fireplace will be
made for men folk usually at a
room called “Akhangki” and
cooking is separated from the
women folk of the family, at
sunset all the men folk along
with 2 (two) high priests will
go outside the main gate of the
village for making new fires to
be used for the festival and the
males are then blessed after
which they shout signifying that they have been sanctified.
The menfolk collect the fire and
come back and even the cups and
plates of the festival, till the
third day of the festival. From
this day onwards all the menfolk irrespective of age leave
their home and sleep in the Morung
On the third day, 2(two) males
who had observed fasting will
go to the jungle to collect wood
which would be carved like a man
and tattooed. This wooden
statues is then installed at the
two gates of the village and then
spearing of the wooden statue
takes place. After that, all the
men folk gather at the main
ground of the village which is
also called the jumping pit and
various competitions are held
viz., long jump, wrestling, cock
fight, etc. later, the high
priest would declare the
condition of all the arrangement
and lift all prohibition imposed
earlier. The folks of the
village irrespective of men and
women are now free from all
bindings and they start feasting
and merrymaking till the end of
the festival. |