Gaan-Ngai
gaanngai festival zeliangrong people indigenous zeme liangmei rongmei tribe assam manipur nagaland state north eastern india gaanngai festival light celebrating victory light evil commemoration coming light fire post harvest festival celebrated thank god tingkao ragwang good harvest season herald beginning new year festival celebrated five day various ritual prayer festivity music dance feast accompanying gaanngai translates winter festival zemeic language gaan meaning winter dry season ngai meaning festival according legend folklore life began creation universe including earth tingkao ragwang creator almighty god god human shared common dormitory called khangchu house tingpu rengsonnang friendly term men often mercy god later men appeared physical form khodiai bee bit god led god fleeing away cooked rice paddy plant granted readily consumed food abundance rice always surplus consumption human achieved peace initially multiplied age passed cooked rice available post fleeing god thingpu rengsonnang householder dormitory visited surroundings found fertile soil conducive vegetation proclaimed villager go cultivation raw rice could obtained paddy prayed tingkao rangwang help long time prayer saw smoke emanating ground generated earthen pot fire burning fire used cook raw rice human able consume cooked rice festival celebrated commemorate coming light fire gaanngai celebrated th day month wakching metei manipuri calendar kabui naga people celebrate gang ngai festival month gaan bu usually fall month november december gregorian calendar though might time celebrated earlier october later january gaanngai celebrated zeliangrong people assam manipur nagaland state north eastern india zeliagrong acronym indigenous zeme liangmei rongmei tribe follow indigenous religion tingkao ragwang chapriak religion heavenly god heraka pure festival also called hega ngi zeme tribe chaga ngi chaga gadi liangmei tribe festivity coordinated common religious authority called tingkao ragwang chapriak phom formed gaanngai festival light celebrating victory light evil post harvest festival celebrated thank god tingkao ragwang good harvest season herald beginning new year declared public holiday manipur restricted holiday assam holiday october nagaland celebrated indigenous village significant population zeliangrong people festival celebrated five day festival involves congregational prayer invocation almighty god tingkao ragwang tingkao rangwang offered first taste meal drink prepared festival festival also involves sacrifice ritual god goddess lower realm first day festival gucheng phaimei ritual conducted piece ginger believed finger tingkao ragwang thrown end village ward evil force later gakpai jaomei performed member chinch elder village future prediction made using spleen pig offered tingkao raglan blessing feast called jeigan tumei held afternoon post ceremonial march called hoi gammei held till selected place conducting sport game various game sport stone throwing race organized youth village opening day festival winner game given prize required pay shon fee acknowledging power ability evening mark beginning fire new fire produced using wood bamboo flint festival bachelor produce fire known mairapmei dormitory go house house producing fire praying health peace prosperity community practice producing bright fire signifies beginning peaceful bright future following event napcha tukaronmei unmarried men dormitory chinch woman dormitory loch visit every house enjoy delicious food cooked new fire part kaidapmei person chosen leader go house announce punishment found disturbing festivity second day woman perform tamchan jouchanmei wherein meat drink food distributed accompanied dance tamchan lam song tam chanlu performed girl tuna gaan lam performed third day wherein dance performed recognition newly admitted member dormitory honor promoted higher rank also performed tribute dead known thei kadimei napchanmei performed wherein pig offered tingkao blessing cooked pork distributed every family tuna gaanngai conducted fourth day festival unmarried jointly making gathering distribute piece meat small packet salt chilli along rice beer practice signifies pronouncement member ceremony meet another world taroilam death member make commitment safeguard character concerning journey soul taroilam last day festival ritual sacrifice performed eight brother god namely raguang vishnu naptime karagong koloa chongchai charakilongmei dimei led eldest pekoe festival also honor died previous year graf decorated flower people dancing offering feast dead per traditional belief soul separation body live taroilam presided god taroigong packet food called thei napdom buried along dead body journey soul person passed away preceding year festival yet made final destination homage departed soul done individual family enable soul reach final destination