Known for its lush green beauty and diversity, the North East region of India has a unique cultural heritage and festivals that are a real treat to the eyes and mind. The colourful traditional attires, folk music, and dance, and even the culinary experience attached to these festivals make them unique yet connected to the roots. From time immemorial the people of the North East are largely dependent on agriculture; so the prime festivals of the region also celebrate agriculture and harvest.
Bihu in Assam
One of the biggest festivals of the Assam region is Bihu. Famous for its tea gardens, natural resources including crude oil, and the rare great One-Horned Rhinoceros, Assam celebrates three major cultural festivals a year, mostly related to harvest, marking a particular period on the agricultural calendar. The biggest and most colorful of the three is Bohag Bihu (also known as Rongali Bihu), which is celebrated at the seeding time in spring with plenty of singing and dancing. It also marks the Assamese New Year. The seven-day celebration of the Bohag Bihu starts with Goru Bihu, a day dedicated to cows, considered to be the most loyal and helpful friends of the farmers. Farmers across the State take their cows to the nearby river for a holy bath on the morning of the occasion. In the evening, when the cows are back home, they are tried with new jute ropes, and prayers are offered for their wellbeing throughout the year.
The second day, which is called Manuh (Human) Bihu, is spent visiting friends and relatives, again accompanied with plenty of singing and dancing and special Assamese food such as pitha (rice cake), Jalpan (sticky rice), etc. On this day, the deities are worshiped and the younger generations of the family take blessings from the elders. Women of the family traditionally weave Bihuan (Gamucha) for the males of the family.
The second Bihu is the Kati Bihu, which is celebrated at the completion of paddy transplanting. Kati Bihu is celebrated on the first day of Kartik month, a relatively solemn occasion involving the lighting of lamps in the paddy field to pray to the gods for fruitful agriculture production. The end of the harvest season is marked by Maagh Bihu (also known as Bhogali Bihu), which is celebrated after the end of a successful cultivation year. Farmers and youth of the village make Bhela Ghar and worship the fire god (Agni Devta), where villagers celebrate Bihu with bonfire feasting, buffalo fights, and lots of other activities.
Wangala Festival in Meghalaya
The Wangala Festival is the biggest harvest festival of the Garo tribe in Meghalaya. This colourful harvest festival is celebrated in honour of the Sun God for the fertility of the paddy fields. The festival marks the end of the sowing season and agricultural year. It’s celebrated by the beating of drums, blowing horns, and traditional dancing. The highlight is the sound of 100 drums (big size Nagaras) being beaten together. Hence, the other name for the festival is the 100 Drum Wangala Festival. Other attractions include a traditional dance competition, slow-cooking competition, indigenous games, and handloom and handicrafts exhibition.
Moatsu Festival in Nagaland
Moatsü is the festival celebrated by the Ao community of Nagaland. It is celebrated in the first week of May every year. The Ao’s observe Moatsu Mong after sowing in the paddy field is done. The festival provides them a period of recreation and entertainment after the stressful work of clearing fields, burning jungles, sowing seeds, cleaning up the wells, and repairs and construction of houses by elders, stretching over a week. The Moatsü festival is marked by peppy songs and dances. The whole festival full of merrymaking and fun is observed only for three days from May 1 to 3.
During this festival, one of the symbolic celebrations is Sangpangtu, an occasion of merrymaking in which a big fire is lit and men and women sit around it putting on their complete best attire. The womenfolk serve wine and meat to everyone. Village witch doctors forecast whether good or evil days are awaiting the people and the village by their readings of the celebration of the Moatsü festival.
Dree Festival in Arunachal Pradesh
The Apatani community who inhabit a tranquil pine-clad valley called ‘Ziro’ at the core of the lower Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh, are famous for their unique practice of wet rice cultivation. They are also known for their sustainable agricultural practices and the agricultural cycles that govern their everyday lives. The agricultural festival of Dree is the highlight of this cycle.
In the evening of July 4, the Dree priest traditionally inaugurates the festival in their respective villages. The next day on July 5, Dree is officially solemnised and celebrated at the common ground with traditional gaiety after it is inaugurated by a Chief Guest unfurling the Dree flag. It is followed by the Dree Anthem sung by a group of artists. To add colour to the celebration, folk dances, literary competition, games, and sports competitions are other highlights of the day. During the taboo period, women folk visit the home of their elderly relatives and present them with wine as a token of love and respect, and to strengthen their relationship.
Chapchar Kut in Mizoram
Chapchar Kut is a harvest festival named after the bamboo that has been cut and is drying for burning and subsequent cultivation season. Bamboo is one of the main tools that has been used in cultivation by farmers of Mizoram from time immemorial. The traditional bamboo dance performed by women (while men sit on the ground and beat bamboo sticks against each other), called Cheraw, is a big part of the festival. Different styles of tribal dance performances take place amidst symbolic clashes and drumbeats. There’s art, crafts, concerts, flower shows, and food as well.
Kut festival in Manipur
Kut festival or Chavang Kut is one of the most celebrated festivals of Manipur. Celebrated by the tribes of Kuki-Chin-Mizo groups of Manipur, Chavang Kut is a festival that is observed to mark the end of the productive season and also to thank deities for a good harvest season. Therefore, the festival is named Chavang Kut; Chavang stands for ‘autumn’, and Kut means ‘harvest’. In the earlier days, the Kut festival used to last a number of days, and many rituals were also performed. After the main rites, the village priest used to distribute Ju (rice beer) to the locals. The celebration also included dancing and singing along with the sports competitions and feasts.
Garia Puja in Tripura
Garia puja is a festival of Tripura, India. It is held on the seventh day of the month of Vaishakh. In Garia puja, devotees sacrifice a chicken for ritual purposes. It is a three-day festival to honour the deity Baba Garia and is held annually on the first day of the Hindu calendar month of ‘Vaisakh’. The festival is celebrated to worship the deity god at the beginning of the new agriculture season for good paddy production.
(Compiled by Dibya Kamal Bordoloi)
Leave a Comment