Compiled and documented by ARIBA ANAR, Youth Ambassador Tribal Design Forum (India), Researcher and Photographer, Sangtam Naga Documentation Committee.
(Disclaimer from author: As Sangtams are now scattered around Tuensang, Kiphire and Dimapur, Kohima areas, some of the practices and taboos are slightly different based on different regions. The author welcomes corrections or differences.)
Mungmung Festival, the most important festival of the Sangtam, is celebrated in the first week of September annually for six days. This festival is connected with food production, blessing and prosperity. The predominant theme of the festival is the worship of the god of the house and three cooking stones in the hearth of every kitchen, and seeking blessings from God for abundant harvest and wealth.
The village priest or Bebürü is the designated person to perform the rituals before the festival begins. On the first night of the preparation for the festival, an elderly man from Anar clan would announce “u-hui……! Zangnyu mungmungnung ele-he” which means that after five days Mungmung will be celebrated. The proxy announcement is also made at midnight before the announcement in the morning indicating the separation of the dead from the living during the festival which is done so that the sins of the past or their forefathers are not inherited down to the living. The festival also means togetherness forever, a time for forgiveness and peace making. The next day also the old man would make the same announcement signalling the countdown of the five days to begin the festival.
Day one (Jangshika)
The inaugural day of the festival is marked by closure of all transactions of farming and other related activities like purchase of domestic animals. Domestic animals like pigs, cows and mithun are roped. The villagers engage themselves in collection of firewood and harvesting the vegetables and millets from the old fields. Starting from this day the villagers will also stop going to fields or the jungle and start preparing for the festival.
Day two (Singkihthsa)
The activity of collecting water and firewood is done by the village, while all transactions related to the purchase of domestic animals are stopped on this day. The domestic animals that are chosen to be consumed during this festival are slaughtered on this day. After setting aside a separate portion of meat for the festival, the adirü/akhingrü would equally share the remaining meat amongst themselves. They also take some meat to celebrate a feast together. It is prohibited to eat the Mungmung sacrificial meat (Amamoh shuh) which has been kept aside for the next day as it is considered to be sacred. The rich or wealthy families slaughter the domesticated animals and share them with their relatives and neighbours.
Day three (Müsüh-Yangtüp)
On this day, early in the morning, an elderly woman in the village would be the first person to draw water from the village well. She will be followed by other women to draw water. While carrying water in bamboo containers called tahzi/sipong from the well to the house, the old woman would put a kind of leaf called dsümpiva in between her head and the strap of the bamboo basket where the bamboo water containers are being carried. This is done with the belief that doing so would prevent diseases
The day is specially marked as a day of giving offerings to the three hearthstones in every house in the morning. It is carried out in every household by the eldest woman of the family. The worshiping of the three hearthstones is done in this manner.
In a plate called khole, sticky rice, meat, liver and rice beer are collected for offering to the three hearthstones No one is allowed to eat anything before the offering has been made to the three stones It is believed that the creator god ‘Lihjapa’ lives within these three hearthstones in every house. The family members and even the domestic animals are allowed to eat only after the offering and rituals are performed. The offering is done so as to invoke blessings and prosperity
The day is then marked by merrymaking, drinking rice bear, and community feast.
The children also play different games like tug-of-war, top-spinning, indigenous games (Khüling dheta), and many other traditional games. Some people perform folk dances and sing folk songs on this day and enjoy the festival.
Day four (Kihkha-langpı)
On this day all youth and menfolk would go and clean the footpath leading to the village wells, water springs and towards the field. But before that, the village priest would be the first person to start cleaning the road towards the fresh water pond and the way to the field. Lunch for this day is prepared by contributing meat and rice and it is cooked in the house of an elderly man. The housewives put chilly, ginger and cotton into the splits of a plant called Tsihdong and it is placed near their houses. Some people use ragweed, a stinking plant called Dhrongpa to hang it at the top of the entrance which is usually a kind of projection at the front. This is done in order to be free from fever/sickness after the Mungmung festival and also for protection of crops in the field from natural calamities
Day five (Shiilang wüba nyümong)
During this day, the people who live in the neighbouring villages visit each other’s parents, relatives and friends on account of the festival. They bring along meat and rice beer then exchange and eat together on this day, while bringing gifts for each other.
Day six (Aka Singkihthsa / Achangka Singkihthsa)
The sixth and final day of the festival is known as Aka Singkihthsa or Achangka Singkihthsa, and the day marks the commencement of the harvesting of new crops. The day also ends the social restriction imposed upon the villagers on account of the festive rites and ritual and marks the resumption of normal day-to-day activities of the people.
They can now resume to fetch firewood or go to the jungle for any purpose.
This marks the culmination of the six days festival of the Sangtam community, the longest celebration, which is observed with much enthusiasm and joy with hopes that they are now blessed by gods and will be safe from all sickness, natural calamities, an abundance of wealth along with hefty harvest.
*Some important beliefs and taboos were that the borrowed grains will not be charged with interest.
