Chaga Gadi/Ngee is the biggest festival of the Liangmai Community. It comes annually in the month of October. The word ‘Chaga’ means ‘festival’ ‘Gadi’ means ‘big festival’. The month of October is called “Chagahiu”. The word “Hiu” literally comes from the word ‘Chahiu’ meaning “Month”. So, Chagahiu means the month of festival/merriment. It is a festival of purification/sanctification and rededication. During this festive period there are lots of dos and don’ts and it has a great significance in their society making their lives moving and meaningful in their day to day life from the days of yore. Today this festival is celebrated every year on 30th October in almost every villages, towns and cities where Liangmais reside with cultural showcase and grand feast.
Earlier, as a Preparation for Chaga Gadi, people go hunting, fishing, trapping and so on in search of delicious food stuff (dishes), because during this festival people usually eat only delicious food. During festival there was a practice that married men and women are asked to drink and eat from banana leaves whereas, the youth (unmarried men and women) are to eat and drink from bamboo cups and plates.
As people prepare for Chaga Ngee, men and women have to use their own hearth in making dishes in order to purify themselves, because it is a taboo to have sex or even touch and eat food prepared by women till the festival ends. During Chaga Ngee men will not sleep with women or their wives. During Chaga men folk are asked to maintain discipline by not touching anything of women’s goods. If they fail to do, bad luck follows them (Padonsa-e) in the war (tathiu-chari). So men folk are to discipline themselves or not to defile themselves from such impurity.
Men and women aloof themselves by going to their own khangchiuki (dormitory/morung) to spend their days. There was a strong restriction for boys not to go with girls and the same restriction was also for the girls. They are to stay in their own respective dormitory enjoying the best delicious food and drinks in observing Chaga.
The festival usually prolongs for five days. Day One: It begins with “Chamimalapbo” (Making Fire) which is also called “day of welcome”. On this day, they had to start their hearth with fresh firewood for cooking. On this very night they are to eat their choicest food to see their eyes bulging in the morning. As they finish drinking and eating they gather up in their khangchiu (morung) with the elders to crack jokes and sing songs. On this day the children also gathered their own chaga rooster competing in sizes and strength.
Day Two: Next day is the day of “Npengkiapbo” (totem shooting), early in the morning the selfless boys (chaliumabomai/Ao-sobali/Mizo-Tlawmgai person) voluntarily go to the jungle to cut the tree for Npeng (totem). Npeng is cut by those whose parents are still alive and those who live a pure and holy life. They are to go for cutting only after being blessed by their parents. Npeng has to be made in resemblance to human being. Chicken feathers are placed on the head of Npeng and also eye, nose, mouth, ear, neck, heart and chest has to be marked with a black colour. After everything is done, Npeng is tied on the top of the pole/post.
Keeping themselves pure and holy from sexual impurity and with a loud ‘ho-hoing’ proclaiming their forefather’s name, Npeng is shot with an arrow. Certain features are made on the spot where they could hit: if it happens to hit on the head - the enemy die of head pain; if on the neck - the one who shot will have plenty of rice; if on the heart - the enemy will die with much trouble; if on the right chest - the enemy will die in war; and if on the left chest - the one who shot will win many girls. If anyone can’t hit Npeng then the singkupao (priest) will take the Npeng stick (arrow) by hand and put it in the feet of Npeng as a sign of surrender. Those whose relatives died in the year were not to shot Npeng. After shooting of Npeng every boys went back to their Khangchiu (dorm) yelling and ‘ho-hoing’. Everyone eat their own delicious foods and drinks abundantly. Eating and drinking was followed by singing and dancing.
Day Three: The following day was a day of “Gadi” which was also called “pon malaungbo/malaungponbo” (sharing of meals - foods and drinks) where everyone was expected to come with their best attire for the mega feast.
Day Four: This day was called “chagapabo.” On this day, all the leftover food and drinks were distributed to the elderly people. The festival is so fascinating that young boys and girls reluctant to end-up the festival would sing:
“Chaga tarou-e, Chaga bam khaini ye, Chaga takarasi, ma, kikhang mai ra sun gantiu rou ye” (Don’t want to end up Chaga; we want to continue chaga if chaga is gone we shall eat bamboo shoot again). At the end of the festival, they washed their hands, mouth, they sang songs and made merry. All go around the village and then back to their own respective houses. By then boys can go to girls and the married men and women were no more restricted to be with each other.
Day Five: This day was particularly for the elderly people who continue to drink and eat the left over food and drinks which was called zauba sakbo/ganjung kalumtiubo (eating leftover). Some say this day is for women folk. But some said Zauba (remaining foods and drinks) is for elderly people, those who don’t go to war. Till zauba was finished up, it was a taboo to do any domestic works.
The grand celebration of chaga will bring more rice, less war and less dead in the village. So, the Liangmais considered chaga as the best and biggest festival. It is also a kind of harvest festival because it is usually observed after new paddy is received: people said, “As we eat new rice, people will not die anymore”. There is no ritual for Chaga Gadi except the need to do zauramkhaibo (feeding wine with spoon). The main purpose of Chaga is to purify themselves in order that no harm would happen to them from war, in hunting and even in their domestic works.
Today, the disappearing values of the traditional beliefs and practices calls for the Liangmai Christians to emend and imply its essence in their day to day life. Because modernization has brought a radical change in the life of the people but do not give sufficient alternative that is congenial to people. This led the present generation greatly influenced by outside culture that today majority of our people do not know the importance of ones’ own culture. Thus, rediscovering the traditional values is highly imperative that this will reinforce relevant Christian ethical principles congenial for today. Consequently, Christianizing Chaga Ngee would keep alive the age-old culture and tradition of the Liangmai people which will make Christianity meaningful and effective without losing our rich cultural and traditional heritages.
Tunchapbo S.P.
