Ukhrul: The festivals of the Tangkhul Nagas are mostly agriculture-based and are often celebrated with a touch of modern and traditional cultures. Mangkhap, a post-plantation festival, is no different.
The community is celebrating this festival to mark the end of the plantation process. This traditional festival also gives the people a sense of time that marks the end of one agricultural process and the beginning of another.
On Saturday, Ngainga village under LM block in Manipur’s Ukhrul district celebrated the Mangkhap festival by observing the age-old ‘Meila Kashar’, burning of pine tinder (pine resin) to invoke their Creator for protection from natural calamities and other disasters.
Speaking to EastMojo, RS Khangamkhai, headman of Ngainga village, informed that their forefathers, who were agriculturists, observed Mangkhap festival as the time of rest, feasting, and asking the ‘Creator’ to protect the paddy from insects and pests and to give them a good harvest.
Khangamkhai also said that the festival is generally celebrated in the first week of July, however, this year, they had to postpone till the last week of the month as the fields dependent on monsoon rainfall could not get sufficient water for irrigation. Amidst inadequate monsoon rains, smaller tributaries of the Thoubal River have dried up and are unable to irrigate the fields, he informed. As the sun heads for the horizon, the villagers stand on their feet anxiously for the clock to strike 6:30 pm to finally let the pine tinder alight across the village, followed by an evening church service.
As the village folks gathered at the Church, the village Chief pronounced his invocation and prayers for the village community’s good harvest and welfare. Headman Khangamkhai said the burning of pinewood is indicative of calling on the Almighty to take away all the miseries and let good tidings come to the village.
Meanwhile, a 92-year-old villager, Ngalahei shared that during the pre-Christian era, pine tinder was burned to shy evil spirits away from the village. Each year, the villagers, including those living outside, looked forward to attending the festival with great enthusiasm. Children joined the celebration by swinging the small ‘meiphu’ in the dark streets, lighting up space with their fire and laughter wherever they went.
Beneath the gaiety of the festivities and celebrations is an underlying gloom as many of the households are still waiting for the rain to plough and plant their fields. Around 20 households, and about 1000 paddy tins, have been affected due to insufficient rainfall in the village, informed the headman.
The village headman expressed concerns that if there is no rain in the coming days, the fields will remain barren and subsequently the households will hugely suffer.
It is worth mentioning that many of the villages in the Ukhrul and Kamjong districts are facing similar situations due to inadequate monsoon rainfall. The climate has become warmer and the amount of rainfall has become lesser each year. Whether it is the impact of climate change is to be seen.
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