Maring fest relives brotherly bond of hills, valley people
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, October 09 2014:
This year's observation of the annual traditional ceremony of the Maring community � Yuisho Lam Wah and Lhamlai � by Kwarok Maring village, which falls under Heirok constituency of Thoubal district, concluded today.
Yuisho Lam Wah is one of the unique and basic prayers to God by the Khunbu and Khullakpa to bestow perennial source of water while Lhamlai is the annual clearing and repairing of road ahead of the approaching harvest season.
Speaking about the observation which was wholesomely participated by all villagers including children and the Khunbu and Khullakpa, the president of the All Maring Hills Yun Yuing Lam Th Moran informed that the programme had been observed each year from time memorial before the birth of Christ among the Maring community.
The main thrust behind the observation is to safe keep the customary practices of the Maring community which are facing the threat of extinction after the community embraced Christianity, he stated.
The observation is held in the aftermath of the Mera Houchongba on the tenth day of Mera.
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The first ritual of the observation is the Shantuba or communal feast in which all members of the village partake in a meal after killing a raised animal.
The core idea of the feast is to prevent the male members of the community from venturing away to far off places for hunting.
Next followed the Yuisho Lam Wah, the cleaning of water sources.
The ritual is far more complicated than common assumption.
The Khunba and Khullakpa are barred from physical contact with women on the previous night.
There is firm belief among the community that non-adherence to the prescribed rituals will cause scarcity of water.
The following ceremony of Lhamlai is basically the restoration of roadway in anticipation of the coming harvest.
Afterwards, the Maring community completed the observation with participation in Mera Houchongba on the full moon of the lunar month.
Moran made a clarification that the original nomenclature of the festival was Mera Haochongba but it began to be popularised later as Mera Houchongba to safeguard the emotional fabrics tying the hill and plain dwellers.
Our brethrens from the plain enthusiastically took part in the festival each year but the population increased and the feasibility of their participation lessened, he stated, but still a light was put up in their compound at this time each year as a sign to their brothers in the hill that they are still alive.
He further added that the Maring community still practices the customary festival of Chakouba.