Festivals of North-East India
SIKKIM:
Saga Dawa (Triple Blessed Festival):
- It is substantially celebrated in the Buddhist communities existing in the state of Sikkim.
- It is celebrated on the full moon day that descends in the middle of the Tibetan lunar month called the Saga Dawa.
- This descends between May and June and this month is called Saga Dawa or the 'Month of merits'.
- The festival is celebrated to memorialize the birth, enlightenment, and death (parinirvana) of Buddha.
- People also spread the Gompas of the monastery and chant mantras, recite the religious texts and turn the prayer wheels.
- Generosity (dana)
- Morality (sila)
- Meditation or good feelings (bhavana)
Losoong Festival:
- It is solemnized all across Sikkim during December every year.
- The paramount profession in the State of Sikkim is agriculture and it is the celebration of the harvest season by the farmers and other occupational communities.
- Traditionally, it is regarded to be the festival of the Bhutia tribe but nowadays even the Lepchas celebrate it with alike stamina and delight.
- The idiosyncratic point of the festival is that people drink the locally brewed wine, called Chaang, as part of the celebration.
- They also get together to accomplish traditional dances like the Cham dance, and the Black hat dance at the monasteries.
- The spirit also reviews the warrior sentiments (opinions) of the Sikkimese community through the archery festivals, etc.
ASSAM:
Bihu Festival:
- Rangoli or Bohang Bihu (falls on Assamese New Year in April),
- Kongali or Kati Bihu remarked in October, and
- Bhogali or Magh Bihu was remarked in January.
- On the First Day of the festival, cows, and bulls that are the backbone of the community are bathed and fed. The decorum (ceremony) is called the 'Gora Bihu'.
- The Second Day is the main day of the celebrations that Initiate Bihu, as people greet one another and they exchange Gamosa (a handwoven cotton towel) with their relatives.
- All the houses make ready Pitha or a traditional dish made of rice powder, flour, sesame, coconut, and jaggery.
- They also arrange stages where men and women from all communities come together to perform the Bihu dance.
Ambubachi Mela:
- It is confined at the Kamakhya temple of the Guwahati in the State of Assam.
- The celebration falls in June and is one of the outstanding festivals in North-East India, so much so that it has been categorized as the 'Mahakumbh of the East'.
- The festival has been kindred with richness rituals and many devotees come to seek the blessing of a child from the Goddess.
- The temple has chased controversy because of the alleged tantric activities conducted during this mela.
- During the festival, the patron Goddess Kamakhya is said to be undergoing her annual menstrual cycle. Hence, the temple remains closed for three days.
Majuli Festival:
- This is one of the contemporary festivals held at Majuli in the State of Assam.
- The festival is arranged in November, as it is the best time considering the rotating climatic conditions in Assam.
- The Department for Culture of Assam organizes numerous events during the festival like seminars that pinnacle the traditional history and eminence of Assam.
- The festival is organized on a huge scale in an open area or Namghar. The tribal dishes of Majuli and Assam are exhibited and put on sale.
- Some famous artists are also invited to showcase their art and public collaborations.
- The local patron deity is also invoked during the opening and closing etiquettes (ceremony).
- Various dances and singing competitions are organized for the entertainment of the gala.
NAGALAND:
Hornbill Festival:
- It is one of the notable festivals celebrated in Nagaland.
- It is a 10 days festival that launches on 1st December every year.
- All the major Naga tribes attend this festival and assemble at the Kisma Heritage Village.
- All the tribes showcase their talent and cultural vividness through costumes, weapons, bows & arrows, and headgears of the clans.
- This is also a good community to escort all the tribes together and for the younger generation.
Moatsu Mong Festival:
- It is celebrated by the Ao tribe of Nagaland in the first week of May after sowing is done.
- The festival furnishes them a period of amusement and refreshment after the stressful work of clearing fields, burning jungles, sowing seeds, etc.
- It is pronounced by songs and dances. A part of the commemoration is Sangpangtu where a big fire is lit and women and men sit around it.
Yemshe Festival:
- It is a harvest festival celebrated predominantly by the Pochuri tribe.
- Catching of frogs is prohibited during this festival. It is acknowledged in September.
Lui-Ngai-Ni Festival:
- Almost all the branches of the Naga tribes celebrate this festival.
- It is celebrated all over Nagaland and in some of the Naga populated parts of Manipur State too.
- It has delighted as the mark for the seed-sowing season.
- The festival escorts the agricultural branches of Naga tribes closer to the non-agricultural based communities of Nagas.
- The festival is glared by a huge amount of celebration and pomp (rituals) & show.
- It is a festival to bring communities closer and escalate the message of peace & harmony.
MANIPUR:
Cheiraoba Festival:
- This festival is celebrated all across the State of Manipur, as it is the New Year according to the Manipuri tribes.
- It is celebrated in April (it means the first day of the month Sajibu).
- The festival is also correlated to the domestic deity called Sanamahi worshipped by the Meitei tribe.
- The festival is usually administered in the temple of Sanamahi but every household cleans, buys new utensils, and new clothes for the family members.
Kang Chingba (Rath Yatra):
- The festival of Kang Chingba is one of the biggest Hindu festivals celebrated in the State of Manipur.
- It is similar to the 'Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra' and draws many antecedents from the same.
- It is a 10 days long festival that is celebrated in July every year.
- The Yatra begins from the very famous holy temple of Sri Govindjee situated in Imphal.
- The idols carved of wood and laboriously decorated are carted around in massive chariots that are called 'Kang'.
- These deities are then carried to another temple and people dance through the night to celebrate the journey.
TRIPURA:
Kharchi Puja:
- While it began as a festival of the royal family of Tripura, currently even the common household celebrate this festival.
- It is celebrated for over a week and takes place in July.
- The festival is celebrated in the honor of Earth and to worship 14 other deities.
- Each year thousands of people trek to this temple in Agartala so that can pay adoration to the deities.
MEGHALAYA:
Wangala Festival (The 100 Drums Festival):
- The dominant of Garo Tribe primarily is Meghalaya.
- The festival indicates the beginning of winter and is celebrated as a nod to the post-harvest season.
- The festival is celebrated in the honor of 'Saljong', a local deity who is considered to be generous. He is supposed to be the force behind the good things that happen to the community. This festival is a thanksgiving for him.
- Drums, flutes, and other orchestras instruments are played to create a festive ambiance.
- It is also known as the '100 Drums Wangala Festival' as loud drum noises herald the beginning of the festival.
- The day is also set apart by the wonderful costumes worn by the participants.
- An extraordinary feature is the feathered head-gear that is worn by everyone celebrating the festival and also reflects their clan's color.
ARUNACHAL PRADESH:
Apatani Tribe:
- The Apatani tribe that reside in Arunachal Pradesh primarily celebrate the festival.
- Currently, more and more tribes have started observing the rituals of the Dree festival.
- It is one of the biggest celebrations held in the Ziro valley.
- During the festival, people offer prayers and offerings to four main Gods: Tamu, Metti, Medvr, Danyi, and Mepin.
- These offerings are given to pray for a good and plentiful harvest.
- People gather around the valley and perform traditional dances.
- One of the most unique points of this festival is that cucumber is distributed to all the attendees as a symbol of a good harvest.
Losar Festival:
- It falls on the first day of the lunar calendar and is quite popular in Arunachal Pradesh.
- It is mainly celebrated by the Monpa tribe who practice agriculture and animal husbandry and follow Buddism.
- Losar is a three-day festival and is celebrated with great pomp and show at Tawang.
Khan Festival:
- It is a religious festival celebrated by the Miji tribe of Arunachal Pradesh.
- The festival is significant because it brings together people from every background irrespective of their caste and faith to celebrate it.
- During this, the priest ties a piece of wool in the neck of all the participants, and the thread is considered sacred.