Come September, the extreme eastern
state of India – Nagaland would be the perfect place to visit as these agrarian
mountain-folk whose lives revolve and depend on agriculture, celebrate the
harvest festival – ‘Mongmong’ which in the local ‘Sangtam’ dialect means ‘togetherness
forever’. Mongmong is celebrated week-long during the first week of September.
Mongmong Festival celebrates
harvest and friendship that has kept these mountain tribes of Nagaland together
always. The festival starts off with the village priest (beburu) announcing ‘Zangnyuo
Mongmong Nung Eh-Lehe’ or the commencement of the festival with prayers and rituals
at midnight.
·
On the first day – which is called ‘Singkithsa’,
the oldest person of the area is asked to perform the festival rituals at the
well. The villagers spend the day collecting millets, vegetables and firewood
from the fields. Livestock (cows, pigs and mithuns) transactions are closed on
this day.
·
On the second day, as the gathering of the
firewood and the vegetables continues, meat for the festive delicacies is
arranged.
·
On the third day which is called ‘MÜSÜYANGTAP’,
people worship their three oven stones in belief that these stones represent
God (Lijaba). Families eat food only after this worship is done. Local rice
beer dancing, tug of war and other merry-making activities take over next.
·
On the fourth day which is called ‘KIKHA-LANGPI’,
the Priest and the men-folk spruce up the village by clearing the weeds;
clearing the roads and pathways leading to wells and fields and then head to
the Priest’s home where a party awaits for all the men who toiled all day in
trying to make the village look neat and nice.
·
On the fifth day which is called ‘SHILANG
WUBA NYUMONG’, people visit their families and friends in the same village and
in the neighbouring villages and exchange drinks and meat as gifts – pretty much
like the Muslim custom of ‘Bakrid’.
·
From the sixth day onwards which is called ‘SHILANG
WUBA NYUMONG’ the actual harvesting process begins in the fields. People invoke
the blessings of God on their crops and their families and pray for a good
harvest and good health.
Among a host of others,
Nagaland folk songs, Millet harvesting shows, Paddy sowing shows, fire making,
tug of war, war dances and archery competitions are showcased during the festivities. Thousands of people from Nagaland, Manipur, Assam, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh converge for the festival during these days.
It is a mélange of colourful
cultural displays of 15 different tribes under one roof. Angami, Ao,
Chakhesang, Chang, Khiamniungan, Konyak, Lotha, Phom, Pochury, Rengma, Sangtam,
Sumi, Yimchunger, Kuki and Zeliang being the largest Naga tribes in Nagaland, converge
for this harvest festival Mongmong in Kohima – the State Capital of Nagaland.
Kohima is perched atop a
ridge at 4200 feet above sea level (same as Kalimpong in WB) with 70% green
cover, and is surrounded by lush green mountains and meadows covered endlessly
with emerald hued wild grass and wild flowers. The scenic, serene and fresh
environs, the salubrious climate and the lovely sunsets would have you anchored
to this place for longer than you scheduled. Kohima is perfect for adventure
sports such as mountain-treks; para-gliding; rock-climbing and camping. Mix all
this with a cultural fiesta and you’ve got yourself a complete holiday package –
the best that your money can buy!
The nearest airport to
Kohima is in Dimapur in Nagaland at 74 kms northeast of Kohima. Regular flights
from Guwahati in Assam and Imphal in Manipur connect Kohima. The nearest
railhead to Kohima is in Dimapur. National Highway 39 connects Kohima to
Dimapur on the north and Imphal on the south.
If you can’t make it to
Kohima for Mongmong festival during the first week of September, then the next
best time to visit Nagaland is during the first week of December for the
Hornbill Festival.
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| Peace Out ! |
