Gudui Ngai celebrated at Kakhulong, Imphal on 17th May 2019 :: Gudui Ngai is a popular festival of Zeliangrong inhabitants of North East; (Gudui means ginger soup and Ngai means festival).
BRIEF NOTE ON GUDUI NGAI :
Gudui Ngai is a popular festival Zeliangrong ( Gudui means ginger soup). It is a festival of worship of TINGKAO RAGWANG for abundant harvest celebrated in the month of May (Maliangbu) on the 13th day lunar calerder for one day only after completing the works of seed sowing in the field. In the morning every household performs a ritual called Malengmei, offering of rice beer and Gutam ( crush ginger) to Tingkao Ragwang and Kangdailu with appropriateReligious hymn.
The Objectives of this festival is for timely rainfall of the season, to grow the paddy plants properly and nourish and to root ro the soil, expand its stems quickly not causing any disturbances by insect or pesticides or warding off decease etc. Napkao ceremony is also observed by each and every household sacrificing a beautiful cock.
In the afternoon people entertainment programme in which there is a Duidom phaimei (throwing of the water put in a plantain leaf container) among the boys and girls followed by Loijaimei (Pulling of rope ) tug of war between boys n girls, males and females as a symbolic representation of competition between God and Goddess for possessing the paddy.
It is performed at the Danshaanpung (village jumping ground) and girls ritually win the game , for there would be good yield in the coming year.
In the evening elderly men will sing Katu, an agricultural ritual song by marching from end of the village to the other end for plentiful harvest in the year.
Picture Credit :: Sangaipu Maringmei