[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he DimapurPhom Union is all set to celebrate the PhomMonyiu Festival on 2nd April, 2015 at Dimapur District Sports Complex (DDSC). The daylong celebration covering two sessions would showcase log drum beating, folk dances, modern folk songs, indigenous games, lenglengkhongkhong (bamboo dance), traditional attire etc.
The people of the Phom-Naga community celebrate Monyiu, their biggest traditional festival from April 01 - 06 every year. This is a spring festival normally observed after the sowing is done in their paddy fields. This is to invoke God’s blessing to have a bountiful harvest. Monyiu also marks the end of winter and the onset of the monsoon season. The traditional Phom belief has it, that the souls of the departed members leave for their permanent abode only after the celebration of the Monyiu festival. Therefore, Monyiu is also the time to bid adieu to the souls of dear and near ones died in the foregoing year. It is also to be noted that in the ancient past, summer was the time when maximum number of death due to sickness occurred in their community. They, therefore, considered Monyiu as a dividing line between the dead and the livings. As such, as future is uncertain, great love and concern would be shared with friends, relatives and members of the community by the exchange of gifts, rice-beer, meat and various food items and also by making merriment. Monyiu is also the time of great romance, specially for the young lovers. Thus, many young boys would take the risk to climb up lofty cliff, tall trees or swim over still water or strong current in search of beautiful flowers like Minchu (Orchid), Monyiuchu (Lily) etc. to give as gifts to their sweethearts.It is also seen that Monyiu is the time when sisters and daughters who are married are reminded that they are still honoured and cared for. For, they would be invited to their parent’s or brother’s house to celebrate the feast together. And many gifts, food items and thigh of the animal killed in the family would be given to them. Wealthy ones and warriors also exhibit their social status by dressing themselves and their family members with unique attires during Monyiu. The skull of the enemy killed in the war were to be displayed by performing rituals during the festival. Their houses would be peculiarly decorated during such occasion. Monyiu is also the time when young boys and girls would be taught their customary practices. Folk songs and dances would be taught during Monyiu. It is also the time when young boys renew their cordial relationship with their close friends by inviting them to have feast, which is called ‘Mongchembahahying’. Infact, number six, being one of the Phoms traditional numbers, Monyiu celebration also stretches over six days.
Day – 1 : The first day is called ShongtenLaiphen. On this day, plantain leaves and bamboos for steaming food items are collected. It is interesting to know that on this particular day, those who do not own any farm are at liberty to collect these materials from anyone else’ farm without permission. And they will not be fined for that.
Day – two : The second day of Monyiu is called ‘AEIHA OKSHOK’. With all the essential stuffs like bamboo, plantain leaves, firewood, water etc. necessary for use during Monyiu festival already collected the previous day, the slaughtering of pigs/animals begins from the second day. Infact, feasting and merry making begins from the second day onwards. The meaning of Aeiha means peer group. Every member of the family both young and old belongs to certain peer groups of the village and so AeihaOkshok is the feast of the respective peer group. It is interesting to note that this system of peer group played an important role in the social life of the traditional society. The peer group always stood together through the thick and thin of time. When one of them could not finish his/her paddy work in time, the whole peer group (aeiha) would go and help out in completing the paddy work. Such are the instances of their strong bonding.
Monyiu festival was an occasion when each peer group would look forward to meet one’s peer and make merry. So the second day of Monyiu, AeihaOkshok is particularly set aside for each peer group to flock together, recount tales of how they have fared well in preceding years and dance together to the melodious tune of their folk songs.
Day – 3 : The weeklong celebration of monyiu festival continues for the third consecutive day. The third day is termed as ‘CHINGI OKSHOK’. Traditionally, every family rears domestic animals such as mithun, cow, buffalo and pig especially for Monyiu feast. So the third day is set aside for slaughtering of these animals. Every family that has reared animal to be slaughtered for the festival does it on the third day. It is also a day for the families to get together and feast. Our custom says that in the past, from the commencement of Monyiu, there would be beating of log drum during the nights in every Morung of the village for two to three hours. The purpose was to invoke blessings from God as well as to signal the celebration of Monyiu to other neighbouring villages.
Day – 4 : The fourth day of Monyiu is termed as ‘YEINDHÜ’. It is on this day that relatives and friends (guests) from far and near come together. The purpose of their gathering is three-fold. Firstly, they come together to share the blessing of Monyiu. Secondly, as stated in the introductory part of this write up, the traditional Phom belief has it, that the souls of the departed member leave for their permanent abode only after the celebration of Monyiu festival. Therefore, Monyiu is not only a time of merry making and feasting, but it is also a time of remembering the ones that we have lost in the foregoing year. It is during Monyiu that relatives and friends from other villages come and join the family in paying their last respect and bid adieu to the departed souls.
Thirdly, relatives and friends from far and near villages get together to strengthen their bond and friendship. So the fourth day of Monyiu is arrival of Yein (guests) from other villages.
Day – 5 : The fifth day of Monyiu is called, ‘CHINGTHEM’. It is the heart of Monyiu when the community as a whole celebrate by singing, dancing folk dances, drinking rice beer, playing traditional games and so on. Both men and women, young and old adorn themselves with their beautiful traditional attires, even the small children, clad in their colourful traditional attires joins the community feast. The menu of the day includes meat, rice, sticky rice and anphet, the most special of all, as it is steamed in the bamboo. It is also a day of sharing and giving out whatever we have prepared for Monyiu with our family members, relatives, friends and neighbours to show that we love, respect and appreciate them. The tradition still continues in the present day and so during Monyiu, we invite our friends, relatives and neighbours to our homes, or we give them gifts in the form of meat or anphet. The elderly ones would also enjoy the feast by exchanging a mug of pure rice beer and cooked meat. The young boys and girls would stroll out in the outskirt of the village to play games and swing. Monyiu is also an occasion for the young boys to exhibit their bravery by climbing lofty cliff and tall trees. It is to be noted that women in Phom society were honoured and respected since the time of our ancestors. It is exemplified by the love and affection the parents and brothers showers upon the daughters and sisters during Monyiu. They would be invited to their parent’s or brother’s house to celebrate the feast together. The family members would present her with many gifts like food items and, it is customary to give a thigh of the animal killed in the family. The celebration goes on till evening when all the men folk would come out clad in traditional dress and go along the street dancing and singing folk song. The rich and wealthy families would relish them with more wine and cooked meat as they pass through their homes and the families would ask the men folk to bless their homes. Each peer group (Aeiha) would also flock together and make merry. Dancing and singing would continue till late night. This get together during the night is called ‘Pangponghah’.
Day – 6 : The sixth day, ‘YEINYAN’, as the name suggests is a closing and dispersal day. There would be last beating of log drum in all the morungs signifying farewell to the guests as well as the ending of Monyiu. It is observed that as per our custom, all invited guests should leave the village before the log drum beating sound is heard on the sixth day of Monyiu so that no bad luck would befall on them.
After the celebration is over the remaining meat and food items are properly preserved, used plantain leaves and bamboo vessels are discarded, the house is swept and clean once more. In this way, Monyiu festival is celebrated with great significance. Each day is as important as the other.
However, with the advent of Christianity followed by mass conversion into Christianity, the Phoms did not give much importance to their traditional festival than as they considered their traditional beliefs and practices as the devilish and out dated. This wrong understanding and conception led to the lostof many valuable culture.
But today, with the dawn of new understanding that Christianity can also be adapted to the Phom culture and that Phom traditional values can also be incorporated into the process of modernization, Phoms today is making every effort to rediscover and preserve their rich culture and heritage.
