Chandel: A state-level seed sowing festival, Lui-Ngai-Ni, was celebrated in Kapaam village located in Manipur’s Chandel district on Wednesday.
The festival was hosted by the Chandel Naga People’s Organisation under the aegis of the United Naga Council (UNC).
The Nagas in Manipur celebrated the festival to mark the beginning of the new year and to pray for a bountiful and bumper harvest.
This year, the festival was celebrated with the theme “One Culture, One Destiny,” aimed at imbibing the fundamental principle of social norms and value systems where the culture of the family-hood is firmly founded in loving one another.
Speaking on the occasion as chief guest, water resources and relief and disaster management minister Awanbow Newmai said that we need to preserve the culture of our ancestors.
The minister went on to say that the Nagas are peace-loving people and, by celebrating the seed-sowing festival, he urged the gathering to spread peace and demonstrate what it means to live in peace.
“To promote peace among us, we need to show respect to one another, and we can begin by doing this in our families,” said the minister.
Through the celebration of this collective seed-sowing festival, Minister Newmai also wished the people in the state a successful and prosperous year ahead.
“Although we have scaled down the days of celebration, we are still celebrating in a very symbolic way. Previously, we used to celebrate the festival for three consecutive days,” said NG Lorho, the president of UNC.
He further stated that all 20 Naga tribes in Manipur participated in the festival, which marks the onset of the seed-sowing season.
The festival featured various activities, including folk songs, cultural dances, blowing of the Lui Ngai Ni trumpet, lighting of the Lui Ngai Ni fire, and drumming by different Naga tribes.
A popular young artist from the Tangkhul community, Yuilachan Mahongnao, also performed during the festival. She enthralled the crowd with her original number ‘Charfa’ as well as other covers.
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Meanwhile, various artists and bands from the Naga community were also line up for the extravaganza evening as part of the Lui Ngai Ni festival celebration.
Dignitaries present at the function were veterinary & animal husbandry and transport minister Khashim Vashum, MLAs SS Olish, Ram Muivah, Janghemlung Panmei, J Kumo Sha and other leaders from the community.
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