Jalukie

Festivity brings happiness, cheerfulness, brotherhood and excitement among tribesman. The Zeliang Nagas are no exception and have a number of festivals. The date, custom and rite may vary from village to village. For a uniform celebration of the festival, the Government of Nagaland has set aside 11 March, Vide No. GAB-11/15/91 (B) Dt. Kohima, 15 November 1991, for ‘Mlei Ngyi’ festival, which is celebrated by Zeliang people.

Prelude to the festival:

Hengyi-sa: The village high priest/harbinger conveying all good wishes to his community proclaims the arrival of festive season and sets the date of the festival to enable for preparation of self, food, drinks, dresses etc. Preparatory agricultural activities such as jungle clearing for current jhum and millet cultivation in fallow jhum areas are supposed to have been completed well ahead of the commencement of the event.

Kecimpu: This is an act of self-cleansing and purification ahead of the festival and involves cleaning of clothes and belongings, seed treatment so that seeds sown after the festival are vigorous and healthy.

Mlei zautau: This involves preparation of local rice brew especially meant to be served to the traditional fire makers.

Main festival events:

Day 1;

Mlei-teu: This event marks the commencement of Mlei-ngyi festival and is usually performed by the clan headman (kizeu-pei) of each dormitory, who will make fire by using strands of bamboo (mlei-ria) and bamboo fine fibres and keep the flame burning until culmination of the festival. During the entire festive period, the clan headman (kizeu-pei) will abstain from having any indulgence with wife and family and maintain a separate hearth.

Heteu hebak dap/Leidi: This event involves slaughter of domestic animals meant for food during festival in different dormitories. The evening also witnesses engaged couples being invited to their respective would-be-in-laws for dinner and blessing; boy invited to would-be-wife's home and vice versa and this dinner invitation by village folks usually continues during the entire festive period. All male members usually with their cup of beer and meat prepared from home, while entering their dormitory usually make a yodel as "Au….whi… ketyei kesak ngyi, kehing kelia ngyi… aki, mlia pungla…" which means "festival of food and drinks, festival of prosperity and longevity…" Dreams were also interpreted the next day.

Day 2;

Rodi: At dawn, some adult male members from the two major clan viz. Heu and Hau, foray into the jungle to make wooden totem (Herie) for each clan which is usually a 6–8 feet long wooden plank split and shared one each from a single trunk. The plank is then brought to the village with each clan carrying their respective wooden totem and placed on a clean predestined location in front of each dormitory. Then all male members in traditional attires gather to yodel around the totem thence proceed to the playground for traditional games and sports like Hedau (kicking the plank), Heram (high jump), Tsugi (shot put). Hesim (long leap), Hejo (long jump), Hepo (wrestling) etc. This event usually witnesses wide participation and stiff competition from capable youngsters and the event marks the best athletes of the village for the year. The sporting event culminates with a traditional yodel (Nroh) by male members congregated around the arena (Hejo-pung).

Day 3;

Bamsak: The day is significant with families sharing Hengyi-dom (festival food package) to family members living out of the village. The evening hours are occupied with male members visiting female dormitories and calling them out by name and (having verbal) exchanging pleasantry. Interpretation of dreams follows the next day.

Day 4;

Tsingpo nsa: The day is marked with different clan collecting firewood and piling in their respective dormitories and the headmen serving dormitory wine to members. In the evening hours, female dormitory members, usually sing soulful ballets and visit male dormitories and perform traditional Heba-lia (finger identification), Heriang teu (tug-of-war) and Tsingpo-nsa (firewood snatch).

Day 5;

Zausa: Merry making in respective dormitories prevails.

Day 6;

Gwangnim: The final day in which the clan headman (Hegwangme) douses the Mlei-mi (festival fire). Members of the female dormitories collect Kemniebi (sticky rice) from respective households and after cooking share it with male dormitories as well as with female member including young girls.

Post festival events:

Regapa: The event after the festival when male members begin agricultural practices of burning their jhum fields and in the process any wild animals and birds killed or captured are gifted to female dormitories. Female members collect meat from their homes and cook in dormitories. Left over pieces of meat and bones (Hailodum nsa) are collected by younger boys.

Gaipia mna: Boys and girls together have recreation and merry making with bride-to-be by singing soulful ballets and conundrum. The bride-to-be along with friends from her dormitory selects a married man to lead during Nta (traditional dances) and gives him mouthful of salt and wine.

Mtim: A day for facilitating and solemnizing traditional marriage ceremonies akin to Christian holy marriages and involves marriage feast for the entire village folks