In pics: Konyak Naga tribe celebrate premier festival 'Aoleang'

Kohima: Hundreds of Konyak Nagas, on Tuesday, celebrated ‘Aoleang’ the premier festival of the tribe at Naga Heritage Village, Kisama, about 11 KM away from Kohima town.

Clad in colourful traditional attires, men and women of all ages gathered at the famed Hornbill Festival venue to celebrate the pre-harvest festival. Folk songs and dances, and the shooting of muzzle-loading guns marked the event.

President of Konyak Union Kohima (KUK), H Angnyei Konyak, informed that the festival is celebrated by the tribe to welcome the spring season and to seek blessings for a bountiful harvest and good health.

The 6-day celebration of the tribe, he said, begins on April 1. In the past, he said that on the first day of the festival, men folk gather livestock such as buffaloes, mithuns and pigs while women collect banana leaves and wild vegetables.

On the second day, the livestock is slaughtered and a feast is celebrated with the in-laws and guests. The main celebration, he informed, takes place on the third and fourth days, where folk dances and songs are performed to mark the celebration.

The fifth day marks the feast for deceased spirits. He informed that a small feast is celebrated to remember the deceased family members, relatives, and in-laws.

The celebrations culminate on the sixth day. The next day, bamboo poles that are used to decorate skulls during the festival period, are dismantled.

He informed that in modern times, the festival is celebrated to unite the community and to pass on the tradition and culture of the tribe.

“Identity of the people depends on the culture, customs and traditions and we cannot ignore our identity. So celebrating Aoleang helps us to come together, and know each other. The youth can learn about our tradition and it leaves a positive impact for them to pass on the legacy,” he told EastMojo.

The event was organized by the Konyak Union Kohima and was graced by Minister for Higher Education and Tourism, Temjen Imna Along as the special guest and Eastern Nagaland People’s Organization (ENPO) president Tsapikiu Sangtam as the special invitee.