Gaan-Ngai Festival to be confined to ritual, customary activities
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 08 2024:
The State Level Gaan-Ngai Celebration Committee, Manipur has announced that this year, Gaan-Ngai Festival will be celebrated by performing only ritual and customary activities due to the present conflict and imposition of curfew in night time.
In a release, the Committee informed that the Kabui (Rongmei) living in Assam, Manipur and Nagaland will be celebrating the much awaited Chakaan Gaan-Ngai festival on January 23, 2024 .
The committee continued that due to the prevailing law & order situation of the State, this year the celebration will be confined only in ritual and customary activities such as offering of ginger to the village presiding deities; communal meal (Zeigan Tumei); farewell ritual to the dead offering food, drinks, eatables, fruits on the grave as a tribute to the departed souls; calling of paddy (Napkaomei) and worship of Goddesses and ancestors (Napchanmei); worship of seven brother gods, presiding deities of the village (Raren Loumei) by offering fowls, wine, water, ginger, egg etc; calling of souls (Bukaomei); offering of holy wine to Tingkao Ragwang and other lower realm gods(Zoupaan Keimei) .
Customary activities like admission of new members to respective dormitories; promotion from minor to major, newly wedded women formally admission to women institution: promotion from Kangbon to Ganchang: Ganchang to Baanja; Baanja to Khunbu or Khullak, filling up vacant posts of Khunbu or Khullak or Taku to the Peikai, etc will also be conducted.
The committee further appealed to all the TRC people and village authorities to avoid the performance of folk dance, festival song competition, beating of traditional drum, shouting with noisy clamour, jocking, etc during the festival as a mark of support to the people affected by the present conflict.