Our Correspondent
Kohima | January 30
The Chang community under the aegis of Chang Union Kohima today celebrated Poanglüm festival here with much pomp and traditional gaiety.
KT Vilie, vice president, Angami Public Organization (APO) graced the festival as the special guest. He said the APO and Chang Public Organization should come closer and understand each other better from today onwards.
Stating that Poanglüm festival brings all sections of people together with sharing and exchange of gift to one another, Vilie added that festival revolves around the agricultural cycle and that many festivals connect to spring, sowing seed, first crop, harvest, body sanctification etc.
Festivals are a time for sharing and giving, he said, adding festival should be a time of forgiveness, rejoicing, sharing and also upholding the good traditional values of forefathers.
ENPUK general secretary Chingmai Phom also shared greetings.
The festival was marked by cultural dance, folk melody, traditional showcase and Poanglüm feast. Chang Union Kohima president proposed vote of thanks.
SIGNIFICANCE OF POANGLÜM
The starting of winter festival is calculated by Hoangang clan. The counting starts when the sun becomes reddish in color before an hour of sunset. The next day, collection from the harvest begins. This is done by a group called Nguoong (the Nguoongs are a culmination of people from the four clans namely- Hoangang, Kangshou, Oungh and Lamou). As the collection starts, it is mandatory for each household to give some measure of paddy to the Nguoongs. The treasurer from the Hoangang clan takes two-third from the collected paddy and the Nguoongs take one-third respectively. On the day of collection, the demarcation of the land boundary is done respectively.
The next day, the people selected to be the ambassador will venture out to neighboring villages, proclaiming the festivity. On the day of the killing of pigs, the villagers will barter goods with the traders who have come from neighbouring villages. After the exchange of goods, the barterers will leave for their respective villages the next morning. After the departure of the traders, the villagers start their part of the festivity call Edou setbu. (Edou means a group of people especially belonging to same age group, who farms in group whole year round. Setbu means sitting together). So, for three consecutive days, the Edou sits together in their chosen residence (treasurer’s residence selected by the respective groups).
In each group, there will be two men and two women chosen to take in-charge of the cooking. This particular group is called Noksenbu. In the celebration, the Edous not only keep the festivity to themselves but they also share their every dish to the elders who are no more physically healthy to join the groups.
During the Poanglüm festival, the dancing continues every night from day one but on the ninth day, dancing continues for whole night and ends only after two hours of sun-rise.
After the dancing, the Kangshou clan starts the first chopping in the field signifying the start of another harvest year. In this, the Hoangang clan will burn the roadside garbage. This is known as wan phangbu, meaning the start of fire/burning. The next day will be a Wan phangbu Sabbath. At the end of the month, the villagers will plant the yam. The next day after the plantation of yam will also be a Sabbath. And this Sabbath day marks the end of Poanglüm festival.
Basically, this festival is celebrated to signify the bounty harvest and also the beginning of new harvest.
