Paorei hosts 1st Cosmos Fest
Source: Chronicle News Service / R Lester Makang

Ukhrul, October 14 2022: For as long as the villagers could remember, the historic Paorei village in northern Ukhrul is home to colourful Cosmos flower which blooms throughout the autumn season attracting birds, bees, and butterflies to gardens.

Incidentally, the age-old annual youth festival 'Glory Day' celebrated by the village youths in the past fell during this bloom season.

With the passage of time, however, the significance of this youth celebration was gradually losing even as the colourfill bloom of Cosmos continued to radiate the beauty of the season.

In a bid to revive the age old youth festival and also to promote domestic tourism in the village through the beauty of the flower, the Village Authority of Paorei took upon itself to institute an annual celebration in the form of Cosmos Festival.

The first edition of the flower festival was organised at the village on Friday with Sanatomba, advisor to Forest & Environment Minister Th Biswajit Singh attending the celebration as chief guest.

Maibam Suranjoy, SDO, Ukhrul & Kamjong; Paothing Vashum, Ex-EM, ADC and Nobert Khayi, Member, Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission, MSPDCL were the guests of honour.

Marking the start of the.

festival, Sanatomba unveiled the monument and cut the ceremonial ribbon in the presence of Paorei village chairman Robust Pheirei, Phungcham headman Wungnaongam Horam, Organising Committee convenor Sorin Khaleng and dignitaries and Vocal villagers and visitors from different parts of the district.

Speaking on the occasion, Sanatomba lauded the Village Authority of Paorei for initiating the Cosmos festival which aims to bring attention to the village's rich cultural and natural beauties and expressed hope that the festival will grow and would be held in bigger manner in the coming years.

He also assured of extending all possible assistance in realisation of the same.

Responding to a memorandum submitted by the village authority to the Minister Th Biswajit for construction of a tourist house to promote tour ism in the village, Sanatomba said that the village's proposal is genuine and justified in the interest of promoting tourism.

He then assured of conveying the needs of the village to the Minister as well as the Chief Minister to the best of his capacity.

In his speech, SDO Suranjoy recalled Paorei as one of the oldest villages in the district and expressed optimism that the festival would be an instrument in bringing development of tourism in the district.

Paothing Vashum stated that in the past, the local youths used to celebrate the Glory Day during this time of the year, when Cosmos were in full bloom.

"Today, with the celebration of this first Cosmos Festival, we giye a new lease of life to the significance of the age-old youth festival 'whose significance remains unchanged to this day," he remarked.

Expressing elation at the launch of the festival, Nobert Khayi said: "Each season has its own charms and today, we thank God for bringing this Cosmos season to Paorei village.

This flower signifies peace, love, and purity" .

He called for focusing on developing the capacities of the youth while adding they are the strength of the society to bring development in the society as a whole.

"For this, our society specifically needs two things and these are healthy youth and educated youth because these are the prerequisite for development of any society," he added.

As a part of the celebration, various cultural displays were showcased along with other musical entertainment events.

Later in the evening, a musical extravaganza was held wherein popular artistes like Thangmeiso Shinglai, Oshim, SP Shonshon and Jeanpui Kamei enthralled the crowd with their songs and performances.

Paorei is about 28 km north of Ukhrul town.

The village is part of Phungcham, the oldest village in Ukhrul district, and is bounded on the east by Longpi and Lunghar, on the north by Peh, on the south by Ukhrul and Halang, and on the west by Talui.

According to Phungcham oral tradition, a Longnao (group of people) migrated from Makhel Village, rested in Longsam (Long's resting place), and dispersed at Mount Longathan (dispersing point).

In Tangkhul, the name Phungcham means "ancient settlement." The name of the village and many historical sites indicate that the Tangkhuls who moved from Makhel people scattered from this village to their present settlements.

It is regarded as one of the oldest villages of the district.

Shimreishang and Maitonphi, the protagonists in the famous Tangkhul romantic folk tale were from this village.

The epic love story of Shimreishang and Maitonphi has a typical tragic ending with Maitonphi being married off to the son of Halang village chief in secret.

Shimreishang was grief-stricken and died after getting the chance to bid goodbye to Maitonphi.

Maitonphi also died shortly after.

However, substantiating the Tangkhul's belief of life after death; the two lovers are believed to be re-united in the afterlife called as Kazeiram in Tangkhul dialect.

Lengthui, a legendary prankster whose adventures exist as folk tales among the Tangkhuls also hails from Phungcham.

Today, the village is well known in the district for its scenic beauty and the significance of its contribution to the history and folk culture of the Tangkhuls.

Many indigenous festivals like Luira festival (Seed sowing festival) where every household prepares rice beer, sticky rice and other delicacies, Laa khanganui (Virgin beauty contest as virginity test) of Luira Phanit where the virgin dance is performed, Mangkhap festival observed after the completion of heavy ploughing, rice transplantation, with much eating, drinking, feasting and merry making and Chumpha festival (festival of thanksgiving for the new harvest) are still celebrated in most of the Tangkhul villages.

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