Tracing the traditional Dresses and Ornaments of Zeliangrongs
- Part 2 -

Dr Budha Kamei *

In festive occasions, the males wear different types of cloths like Phephai, Ngumthophai, Giyakni, Kourangphai, Mazing-giakphai and Hengkungphai. The young males use Phephai as upper garment which is a white colour cloth with horizontal borders made of red strips followed by black, white, red, white and black strips at each of its lengthwise ends. It is turned into a complete whole by joining two pieces which are woven on the loin loom, at the centre. Ngumthongphai is worn by both males and females as shawl of which the major area is white and the side borders contain wide red and black bands. Extra weft designs are found in the end border. (Bahadur, Mutua. (2000). Tribal Hand woven Fabrics of Manipur, Mutua Museum, Imphal, p.52.) Kourangphai, a shawl of black colour with two to three strips on the horizontal side and one yellow strip line on the vertical side is meant only for the aged people. The young men also wear Mazing-giakphai and Hengkungphai as shawl at the time of festivals.

In festivals, boys and girls in colourful traditional attire perform dances together. Boys wear Tashini, a black loin cloth (more colourful as it is decorated with three rows of cowries on the body of the cloth), a white shoulder band, calf belt made of cane split in ring shape known as Chakeng, (Panmei, Dichamang. (1985). 'Liberty to Captives', A ZBCC Platinum Jubilee Publication, Tamenglong, Pp. 16-8.) the Tada ( a rice powder is mixed with water and painted on the legs, below the knees and above the ankles), (Golmei, Alana. (2004), The Zeliangrong Nagas in Manipur: A Socio-Political Study, Ph.D. Thesis, p.69.) headgear made of hornbill feathers, (Das Ram, Charan. Op.cit, p.163.) different kinds of necklace such as Talatiu, Tiuchang, Tajeutu made from whitish animal bone in elongated form, and Chapuanghinta (an ivory armlet) as dance costume.

Traditionally, they use to hold a spear on their right hand in dancing. (Ibid) The headgear is made as the feather is tucked into white cotton thread ball that is fastened with the hair of the user with the help of a hairpin. The hairpin is traditionally made from the quill of the porcupine.

Like their male's counterpart, the female members too use different varieties of dancing costume such as a loin cloth known as Nithuina, different kinds of necklaces, bangles like the Tatta and Taluwang, and armlet like the Intan. The women folk dancers wear a headgear called Pikhim which is made of different coloured thread with a decoration of locally available red colour flower along with the leaves. They wear necklaces of various types like Tatiu, Chiurung, Tiurong, Tiuchang and Tapengchiu. These necklaces are made up of conch-shells supported with differently coloured beads (red, black, yellow, white and green) and commonly used by women folk for their beautification.

Different types of ear rings like Chakonliu (made of red coloured threads and Kung), Chalan (made of different coloured threads and ornamented with dried orchid stem) and Majaimana etc are also used. In addition, they wear Tan, a brass armlet made in spiral form. (Shantibala, K., (2002). The Traditional Costume of the Zelaingrong Tribes: A Study of Ethos-Aesthetic History, Ph.D. Thesis, M.U.)

The Zeliangrong males wear Mazingphai and Nza as lower garment and shirt respectively while they are in the fields or going to the forests to collect firewood and to hunt. Nza is meant for a male's shirt which is made out of a shawl and worn above the shoulder on the left and right by crossing downward over the chest. The female memebers too use Tanei and Takom as their lower garments and chest band respectively while they are in the field. Takon, a small black colour cloth is used as chest band and the phaizana, a small light blue colour shawl is worn over the Takon.

Riphai, meaning war dress is a Zeliangrong word. The Zeliangrong people are known for their bravery and fearlessness in facing their enemies in times of conflict and war. They use a special form of war dress: Mazingphai (lower garment) Nza (Shirt), Changiu (Spear), (Hutchinson, Walter. (Ed.). (1984). Customs of the world: A Popular Account of the Manners Rites, and Ceremonies of Men and Women in all Centuries, Vol. II, Concept Publishing company, New Delhi, p.1178) Chaheng (dao) and Chugih (shield). They use two kinds of shields called Giran and Chagi. Giran is reserved for the leader of the fighting group. This specific shield is made from the skin (Ibid) of a male pig or bear.

It is made decorated with horsehair which signifies the status and dignity of the owner of the shield. "They seem to be a source of power on their own rights in the sense that they must be handled with care, as its power was a double-edged quality that could mishandle". (Jacobs, Julian. (1990). The Nagas, Thames & Hudson, London, p.104.) Chagih is used by the other warriors. It is made of bamboo supported by a wooden frame and decorated with Sau, bamboo split pieces on its front side for defensive purpose.

The Zeliangrong males have different styles of haircut according to age and social status-whether youths, married men or aged persons. (Kamei, Gangmumei. (2004). The History of the Zeliangrong Nagas from Makhel to Rani Gaidinliu, Spectrum Publications, Guwahati: Delhi, p.304.) They wear small moustaches. (Brown, R. Op.cit. p23) The girls who have been admitted to the girls' dormitory have their hair cut short nicely in the traditional style. The face of the girls looks more beautiful and attractive with the style of hair cutting practiced by them. That special style of hair cutting also indicates the unmarried ones. But after marriage it is allowed to grow to its length. (Scoppit, C.A. (1969). A short Account of Kacha Naga in Verrier Elwin (Ed.) The Nagas in the Nineteenth Century, London, p.420.)

In prayer or worship, female members wear Tarang pheisoi and Banphei Bangmei as lower garment and shawl and men use Pheingao or Pheingao muffler. In marriage ceremony, both the bride and groom wear traditional festival dress of the people. In funeral, females wear Khim Pheisoi, a loin cloth and Banphei Bangmei, a shawl and males use Chingkhongphei, as shawl. Generally, after bath, the dead body is put on with best traditional cloths and buried along with spear, hoe, cloth etc for his use in the next world. (Rashitombi Devi, Konjengbam (1996). A Study of Socialisation Process Among the Rongmei Nagas of Imphal, Manipur, Phd thesis, Pp64-65)

N. Kahmei writes, the young boys use hornbills tail tied with the pigtail on the head. They use glass beads, brass ornaments, headgears and other colourful things as dancing dresses. The women wear beads and shell ornaments profusely. In war dance, they use spear and shield of hexagonal shape decorated with dyed goat hair. War dance with agility in movement is very exciting and delightful. (Kahmei, N. (1995). The Zeliangrong Nagas in Naorem Sanajaoba (Ed.) Manipur Past and Present, Vol. III, (Nagas & Kuki-chin), Mittal Publications, New Delhi, p.413.)

Dresses and ornaments are primarily an item of material culture in human societies having significance in the culture of a people. The earliest loin cloth, Tanina which was used by male individual to cover only the private part may be deemed to undo excitement of sexual urge of the opposite sex. It surely indicates the evolutionary stage of Zeliangrong society and the simple dressing of the loin in this style cannot be taken as sure sign of culturally well developed stage. In later stage, they become more advanced as the lower end of the cloth covered the thighs or the legs.

For the Zeliangrong women, there are modes of wearing loin cloth identifying the different status of the married women; the upper end of the cloth was raised up to cover the breasts. When clad in this manner, the women did not require putting on shirt. Unmarried woman, on the other hand, put on loin cloth around the waist leaving the upper part of the body to be covered by shirt. Girls clad the shirts, tightly fastened to the body to suppress the breasts as much as could be. It was considered highly immoral for a girl to wear loin cloth in the married woman's mode and vice-versa, as it involved disordering of the structural arrangement of keeping these two categories of females in the two different social statuses. (Sobita Devi, K. (1991).Traditional Dress of the Meiteis, Phd thesis, Pp.203-204)

The women had to take every possible care in public gatherings, particularly in the ritualistic occasion, so that their loin cloths do not come loose. To avoid such awakened scene as loosening or falling of loin cloth, Tanina, the Zeliangrong woman put on a belt around the waist. Besides serving a belt, the use of the garment over the inner loin cloth was encouraged with an aesthetic sense.

The matter of moral value is also depicted in the distribution of the stripe pattern Tanina. This is again connected with the difference in cultural value attached to the colours of the Tanina. The brighter colours are prescribed for the youngsters while the fainted ones are for the aged. The associated symbolism in the brighter colour is the source of sexual attraction, excitement and potentiality for a female in the prime of her life. The choice of colour is a matter of aesthetic considerations. Red is the symbol of valour and strength, white is the symbol of simplicity, humility and gravity, and black is the symbol of darkness and cruelty.

Aesthetic values have referred to beauty in itself and its application to arts and the nature. It may be observed in loin cloth locally known as Aliumailangni which has backdrop of grey colour supported by broad red borders on the two horizontal sides. The border has woven embroidery by interlacing of multicolour yarn. Tassels are hanged over the woven embroidery along the weft. These works are apparently the attempts of the artisan to express her skill and originality in the best possible manner. The butterfly motif on the body of this garment can be vividly seen in the form of its most possible concrete expression. These concrete manifestation and representation of the perception of natural objects are also seen in the loin cloth of Giyakni which has a motif of thirty pairs of butterflies on each joining part of the cloth.

The ornaments woven by them not only meant for beautification of the body are also employed to protect themselves against human predators and wild animals while venturing in the deep forest in search of food or hunting. The sewed of conch shells called Tabaichiu adorned as necklace are sometime used for breaking the teeth of the wild animals while fighting them or beating them off. Tatta or Taluwang commonly worn by unmarried girls as bangle is big, and heavy. Sometimes, it is used as instruments against the human predators and wild animals.

Like any other culture, the Zeliangrong culture expresses the sense of beauty also vividly in their various patterns of designs of weaving, embroidery and appliqué works colour combinations and various modes of wearing the dresses.

In ritual aspect, traditional clothes have religious functions. For instance when a child is sick, Tanina of the mother is used as shawl to cover the body in order to protect from the evil forces; it is believed that the evil forces scare and dislike the Tanina. Thread of Langjin is also used as an article in the ritual of warding off the evil forces.

Thus, it may be stated that material culture of dress and ornament of the people had the functional value of organising the civil society of the people during their historical days, helping in strengthening its moral, aesthetic and ideological foundations.

It has a motif of thirty pairs of butterflies flanked by black colour locally recognised as Kaike on each joining part of the cloth. Aliumailangni is worn by young girls as lower garment at home as well as on ceremonial occasions. This cloth has backdrop of grey and the colour of thread is naturally produced from homegrown cotton. This kind of cotton is available in Tamenglong District of Manipur. The grey backdrop of the cloth is supported by broad red borders on the two horizontal sides. The border has woven embroidery which is produced by interlacing of multicolor yarn. Tassels hang freely over the woven embroidery along the weft. It is made by joining of four pieces of cloth together and each of the joining part has a motif of butterfly flanked by black stripes. The young girls wear Nithuina also as lower garment at the festive occasions.

Concluded ...