Metumniu
Date : August 4 - 8, 2011
Venue : Nagaland
The annual Metumniu festival is celebrated by the Yimchungers tribe of Nagaland from the fourth to the eighth of August, after the harvest of millet.
During the festival, there is much celebration, the enactment of rituals, working for the betterment of the village as a community, as well as remembrance of the near and dear ones who have departed in the past year.
The festival, inaugurated by an elder who goes by the title of Kheanpuru, is spread over five days. Each of the five days, known as Shito, Zhihto, Zumto, Khehresuk and Sheresuk, has a significance of its own.
On the first day, the village is cleaned by the community and the homes and roads that have been damaged by the rains are repaired. On the second day, the paths leading to the fields are weeded and cleared. These are often in a bad state owing to the frequent landslides during the rainy season.
On the third day, inter – village roads are dealt with and on the fourth, springs and other sources of water are cleaned.
During these days, the villagers also invite friends over and feast on preparations made with millet, exchange gifts and dance in their finery. It is also the time when young boys and girls get engaged.
Parents of newborns say special prayers and make ritualistic offerings. For a male child, considered to have six souls, the parent offers six pieces of meat to the priest, while for the girl child, supposed to possess five souls, five pieces of meat are offered.
During this time, agricultural implements are sharpened and special prayers made for very important implements like the spade and the hoe.
Venue : Nagaland
The annual Metumniu festival is celebrated by the Yimchungers tribe of Nagaland from the fourth to the eighth of August, after the harvest of millet.
During the festival, there is much celebration, the enactment of rituals, working for the betterment of the village as a community, as well as remembrance of the near and dear ones who have departed in the past year.
The festival, inaugurated by an elder who goes by the title of Kheanpuru, is spread over five days. Each of the five days, known as Shito, Zhihto, Zumto, Khehresuk and Sheresuk, has a significance of its own.
On the first day, the village is cleaned by the community and the homes and roads that have been damaged by the rains are repaired. On the second day, the paths leading to the fields are weeded and cleared. These are often in a bad state owing to the frequent landslides during the rainy season.
On the third day, inter – village roads are dealt with and on the fourth, springs and other sources of water are cleaned.
During these days, the villagers also invite friends over and feast on preparations made with millet, exchange gifts and dance in their finery. It is also the time when young boys and girls get engaged.
Parents of newborns say special prayers and make ritualistic offerings. For a male child, considered to have six souls, the parent offers six pieces of meat to the priest, while for the girl child, supposed to possess five souls, five pieces of meat are offered.
During this time, agricultural implements are sharpened and special prayers made for very important implements like the spade and the hoe.
