Liangmai village celebrates Chaga Ngee with love feast
Source: Chronicle News Service
Senapati, October 30 2023:
Marking the festival of sanctification and thanksgiving, the village authorities of Taphou Liangmai village celebrated Chaga Ngee with a feast prepared with Liangmai traditional foods and offered to all attendees.
The event was attended Senapati district's additional superintendent of police ML Kaisungbou, as chief guest, and Excise Department, Senapati officer in-charge Johnson Hungyo as the guest of honour.
The villagers gave the guests a traditional welcome at the start of the programme.
In their addresses, Chaga Ngee convenor Ch Pouken said Chaga is a celebration of holiness and thanksgiving while Taphou Liangmai village chairman DM Widoubou stated that the festival is a state-restricted holiday in recognition of the Liangmai festival.
He also elaborated that the festival is celebrated to thank God for all of the protection throughout the year, as well as a prayer to keep the New Year safe and sound.
"It is a celebration in which one must consecrate and follow certain rituals in order to receive God's blessings.
The day is also set aside to bring together all Liangmai sisters and mothers who married to other tribes," he added.
While giving Chaga greetings, guest of honour, Johnson Hungyo, described the celebration as "very unique" because it brings people together to ask Goa's pardon and emphasised the importance of promoting such festivals and instilling a feeling of unique traditions in the younger generation.
According to chief guest ML Kaisungbou, the celebration of this festival reveals the identity of the Liangmai community, adding that it is celebrated in Liangmai areas and other major cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Shillong, and Pune.
Liangmais have a distinct culture in which the winner of an event is not awarded a prize.
The champion must sponsor the award and celebrate with the community members in order to honour the Almighty.
A Liangmai "karakha" emblem is retained in the Manipur legislative assembly which represents the biodata of persons who have successfully completed their worldly obligations.
'Npeng kepbo' signifies the omen for the coming year.
It must be interpreted in modern times in order to be relevant to modern, civilised, and Christian principles.
Hitting the Npeng head should be seen as a blessing for achieving the highest levels of success in one's chosen field.
Neck for excellence in sports, chest for blessing with the right life partner, and stomach for blessing in business and entrepreneurship.
The chief guest expressed belief that Manipur needs greater spirit of mutual understanding, and that every community in the state should be provided opportunities for growth and development.
The festivities continued with several traditional games.
Many married sisters and mothers married to other tribes attended the programme with joy and returned home after the large love feast served at the end of the event.