Wrestling, paddy plantation mark Paoki festival
Source: Chronicle News Service
Senapati, May 10 2024:
The traditional paddy transplantation festival called 'Paoki' in local dialect, which is one of the tourism festivals of Manipur, was celebrated on Friday at Purul village.
Solomon Arow, president Naga People's Organisation (NPO), attended the festival as the chief guest.
The Purul Youth & Students' Organisation (PYSO) organised the event, which was attended by representatives from Mao Council, Poumai Naga Union, and Zeliangrong Union-Senapati Zone, all of whom are part of the NPO.
The Tourism Department'sponsored the event.
On the second day of the event, young people from several villages competed in the wrestling competition.
Purul village receives the highest number of tourists during the Paoki mega festival, and it was the first village in the region to sow paddy, the primary crop grown in Purul since it is the village's main source of income.
Paoki is a transplantation festival that takes place over three days, in May (generally between May 5 and 10 each year).
The day is celebrated as Purul s Tourism Festival.
According to the organisers, every guest/tourist is lavishly served and will never regret attending the event.
On the first day, householders prepare 50-70 kg of meats and fish for the feast.
On the second day, villagers gather paddy saplings for transplantation.
In the evening, a Naga wrestling competition takes place, with visiting villages choosing from the host village.
The winner wins both games, lasting until dawn.
On the third day, all fields are plant ed, and young lads and lasses attend the function.
Paoki is a plantation festival, showcasing solidarity and social commitment for community welfare.
Guests and well-wishers are warmly welcomed, and songs are aired to add to the festive atmosphere.
With a rich history, unique culture, varieties of traditional dress codes, fairs and festivals, landscape, place rich in wildlife, and hospitality of the locals, Purul is truly a tourist destination of Manipur.
Naada, president Purul Youth & Students' Organisation, welcomed the guests and encouraged them to feel at home, saying that their presence added more colours to the festival.
Speaking at the event, Solomon Arow, remarked that the attendance of other tribes' presidents under NPO on the occasion has a deeper meaning that has never occurred before, creating history on Purul Paoki.
While praising the host village, Solomon stated that Purul is the first among the Poumai Naga tribe to organise such events, preserving age-old customs that have now evolved into Manipur's tourism festival.
Wrestlers who had previously participated at the district level were also present at the competition, which lasted until the next day's break.
The third day of the festival continued with transplantation of paddy rice.
Male folks went from fields to fields, assisting with transplantation till late evening.