Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, January 11 2010:
The biggest annual traditional festival of Maram tribe, Kang-hi which ia marked by naked wrestling of males concluded yesterday at Maram Khullen in Senapati district on Sunday.
The festival started from December 16 last year.
The unique feature of this festival is the wrestling competition of the men folk of the village without any cloths on their bodies.
The wrestling was held yesterday on the last day of the festival where hundreds of villagers including womenfolk watched.
Giving account of the unique wrestling, an elderly person of the family said the naked wrestling is held only on the last day of the nine day long festival.
In the wrestling, clans of the Maram tribe are divided into three groups as Khulakpa group, Maram Mathak Sagei and Maram Makha Khul.
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Womenfolk have to watch the wrestling from a distance of around 50 meter away from the playing ground.
They are prohibited from watching the wrestling from the close range, the elderly person informed.
According to a spokesperson of the festival organizers, the first and second day of the festival is marked by cutting of meat for the festival.
On the third day, villagers went to the houses of their relatives and presented gifts and served a grand feast with the meat prepared on the first and second day.
On the fourth day, wrestling competitions were held at their respective villages.
Inter-village wrestling competition started from the eve of festival at the playground of the chief of the village and the unique naked wrestling held on the last day of the festival, the spokesperson added.
In the evening of the last day of the festival, girls of the village served the man folk with local brewed wine.
As per the customs of the Maram tribe, men separated themselves from their wives a month ahead from the start the festival.
Villagers strictly obeys the custom till date.
During the first three days of the festival women are exempted from the duty of fetching water.
Villagers have not broken the age old tradition of this system till date.