Nagaland is a state of North east India, bestowed by immense natural beauty. This state is resided by several different tribes among which Rengma Naga is one. This tribe celebrated the Ngada festival, which symbolizes the end of the harvesting season. This festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm and zest by the Rengma tribe of Nagaland.
About the Ngada festival
Ngada Festival is a major festival of Rengma Naga Tribe and is in reality a "Thanks giving" festival. It is celebrated with display of different shades of hue and music, which is celebrate for eight days. Each of the eight days has its own significance of meaning. The start of this festival is notified by the village priest. He announces the auspicious day after calculating approximately the month by the movement of moon. While declaring the day he takes into account of the fact that every householder must be in a position to bring crop to their home and stock in their appropriate granaries by ritual law. It is a forbidden to bring home any grain or crop after celebration of this festival. Rice beer and flesh of animals are consumed on this occasion in abundance.
Celebration of Ngada Festival
The festival begins with the preparation of different varieties of local beer and ends on the seventh day with high optimism and great expectations that the coming year will accompany abundance and prosperity to the village and the new agricultural year will yield happiness to the villagers. The second day is preordained for cleaning houses and compounds along with graveyards and jungles, which are cleaned by the male members. On the third day is the actual festivity of Ngada festival begins. On this day, all the house-wives go to the grave in the morning as it is believed that the souls fervently wait for this day every year. This day is called zu kephe dzon, which means opening day of the beer containers. Each member of the Rengma tribe visits their friends and neighbours to enjoy this auspicious festival by sharing food and drink. The fourth day is known as Kenyhun Dzon, where Kenyhun means movements and actions and on this day cultural activities are held. Male members revamp in traditional battle costumes and go round the village in pageant. They visit each Morung and throughout the pageant there should be an undisputed loud chanting and the females offer them with stronger rice beer, rice and meat. It is a custom that every individual has to taste or sip the items when offered. Finally, they gather at Morung and narrate how they had encountered their opponent and how they struggled and won victory. The fifth day is completely dedicated to cultural activities that comprise dancing, traditional games and sports. Some of the common and popular games played on this particular day include kicking of object, high jump and long jump. The players are rewarded as per their ranks. The winners of the games organize a community feast at Morung by fabricating big camp-fires on the last day of the festival. The sixth day is known as Rungsu Dzon where people pays visit to one another`s home. Nga Nyiikhin Dzon is the symbol of the end of Ngada festival. It is believed that on this day, the spirits of the departed souls disappear from the graveyard and the guests are not allowed to leave the village. On this day a community feast is organized where women and men folks enjoy separately at their respective Morung. A special beer known as Nyezeng beer is served to all members of the community and women are prohibited from tasting it as it is considered as a taboo. On the Seventh day, people prepare for the grand feast by accumulating firewood, banana leaves and vegetables from the forest. The eighth day is the end of the grand Ngada festivals, wherein a grand feast is arranged along with performance of some traditional rituals for better future.
About the Ngada festival
Ngada Festival is a major festival of Rengma Naga Tribe and is in reality a "Thanks giving" festival. It is celebrated with display of different shades of hue and music, which is celebrate for eight days. Each of the eight days has its own significance of meaning. The start of this festival is notified by the village priest. He announces the auspicious day after calculating approximately the month by the movement of moon. While declaring the day he takes into account of the fact that every householder must be in a position to bring crop to their home and stock in their appropriate granaries by ritual law. It is a forbidden to bring home any grain or crop after celebration of this festival. Rice beer and flesh of animals are consumed on this occasion in abundance.
Celebration of Ngada Festival
The festival begins with the preparation of different varieties of local beer and ends on the seventh day with high optimism and great expectations that the coming year will accompany abundance and prosperity to the village and the new agricultural year will yield happiness to the villagers. The second day is preordained for cleaning houses and compounds along with graveyards and jungles, which are cleaned by the male members. On the third day is the actual festivity of Ngada festival begins. On this day, all the house-wives go to the grave in the morning as it is believed that the souls fervently wait for this day every year. This day is called zu kephe dzon, which means opening day of the beer containers. Each member of the Rengma tribe visits their friends and neighbours to enjoy this auspicious festival by sharing food and drink. The fourth day is known as Kenyhun Dzon, where Kenyhun means movements and actions and on this day cultural activities are held. Male members revamp in traditional battle costumes and go round the village in pageant. They visit each Morung and throughout the pageant there should be an undisputed loud chanting and the females offer them with stronger rice beer, rice and meat. It is a custom that every individual has to taste or sip the items when offered. Finally, they gather at Morung and narrate how they had encountered their opponent and how they struggled and won victory. The fifth day is completely dedicated to cultural activities that comprise dancing, traditional games and sports. Some of the common and popular games played on this particular day include kicking of object, high jump and long jump. The players are rewarded as per their ranks. The winners of the games organize a community feast at Morung by fabricating big camp-fires on the last day of the festival. The sixth day is known as Rungsu Dzon where people pays visit to one another`s home. Nga Nyiikhin Dzon is the symbol of the end of Ngada festival. It is believed that on this day, the spirits of the departed souls disappear from the graveyard and the guests are not allowed to leave the village. On this day a community feast is organized where women and men folks enjoy separately at their respective Morung. A special beer known as Nyezeng beer is served to all members of the community and women are prohibited from tasting it as it is considered as a taboo. On the Seventh day, people prepare for the grand feast by accumulating firewood, banana leaves and vegetables from the forest. The eighth day is the end of the grand Ngada festivals, wherein a grand feast is arranged along with performance of some traditional rituals for better future.