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About
Tsungremmong Festival |
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After Moatsu-The spring festival, the Ao Nagas celebrate
another festival called Tsungremmong-The eve of harvest during
the time of the forefathers, this festival was held for six
days, marking the end of rigorous plantation besides nursing
the paddy fields followed by sacrificial offerings.
In some village as per the Ao customary law, before the
Tsungremmong festival a event of change of putumenden or a
change of powers or transfer of powers from one generation to
another takes place in the beginning of the village new year
chosen by respective tribes. In connection to the Tsungremmong
festival during the occasion the new Tatars carry meat curry
for all persons busy in path making works. The leading man
among them proclaims that there is the meat curry to mark the
appointment of the incumbents to the house of the next
putumenden. Ceremonies differ in every Ao village. Today the
old custom is abundantly modified in the changing situation.
‘Tsungremmung’ festival is not just a festival but a source of
building unity,’ The highlights of the day-long celebration
among others were folk dances presented by Longra and Chari,
and Amok Lushi cultural club Chuchuyimpang and folk songs
presented by the Watsu unit of Chuchuyimpang.Prior to the
start of the festival, every village declares the Süngküm
(village gate) closed and free entry or exit is restricted and
regulated for those who do not belong to that particular
village. |
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Customs and Traditions |
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During the festival, wearing their colorful customs both the
young and the old sing songs and perform dances to express their
appreciation to the supreme power for helping the crops to grow
well, while they also give the best offerings for abundant
blessings. This gives an opportunity to the youngsters to reveal
their intellectual skill and physical ability. A handful of
young men hold the stage and tell amusing stories about the
elders while greeting them by jumping in enthusiasm. The
festival is usually rounded off by a tug-of-war between men and
women. It is now commonplace for the men to deliberately lose to
please the women. In keeping with the spirit of the festival, no
one disproves the argument that the men lose the tussle since
they are fascinated by the sweet songs of the women and regaled
by their very presence. The only defence offered is that the men
have to pull the rope uphill and the women downhill. It is a
treat to watch and an honour to take part in the festivities.
Today in history, the past days are counted as the ‘Golden Age’
for it is a memory kept alive in old folk tales. They are
repeated over and over again in different interpretations. A
short passage of the tsungremmong festival that exists in some
books is scribbled down. |
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Performance of Tsungremmong Festival |
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During the forefathers time, the Tsungremmong ceremony is
performed in all the Ao village which is a yearly celebration to
honor of all Tsungrem (God) in general. It takes place in
august. The first day a pig is sacrificed outside the oldest hut
and a piece of meat is given to the house at each end of the
main village street.
This is a present for Lijaba- The supreme being (mentioned in
almost all the Ao tales), distributed in this way he is bound to
find it ready for him from whichever directions he enters the
village. The rest of the pig is eaten by the elders. On the
evening of this day every family makes a free offering at the
hearth and for that night the man and his wife must abstain from
intercourse. The next day is very strict. No one may leave the
village and even rice may not be husked. Men and boys spin tops
and women and girls play games with sword bean seeds. In the
evening the bucks visits the girls’ dormitories and the house of
young widows and divorcees.
The women are bound to supply their visitors with drinks. If
they decline the men may carry off the doors and all the
firewood’s there is in the house. The next day is spent in the
same way, but is less strict and people may leave the village to
gather jungle leaves and so on. While on the third day all go
and take bathe. There is no visiting of girls house that night,
for the god are abroad and so all go to bed early and avoid
walking about.(the passage ends there-The Ao Nagas)
Just like in the Moatsu festival, all celebrations are
identical. Only the offering and some rituals are apart but with
times changing only few are hardly taken and observed in one
particular day.
It is sad to see that Nagaland being the land of festivals is
not given much significance also ignoring the rich heritage
while other countries are taking great interest to our tradition
and culture of our folk songs and folk stories. |
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