Kairao Kalumei : Ancestor worship of the Zeliangrong
- Part 4 -

Budha Kamei *

A Scene from 'The Zeliangrongs' :: Provided by Director - Ronel Haobam

Khun Chaomei, the digging of a hole is another important ritual action of the worship. It is dug near the hearth called Mhaimang or a dry place of the family. In other word ritual takes place at a sacred place where the spirits is supposed to live. The priest will start to dig the hole with a hoe after offering of holy wine to the ancestors and it is completed by his assistant called Mhujeb. The size of the hole should be about a foot wide in diameter and its depth is measured with the hand and it should be below the point of one's elbow.

Offerings are to be placed for the ancestors in the hole clearly indicates that the dead lives underground. Mhujeb will place the digging out mud on the left side of the pit and heave them properly in such a way that it can be used for placing plantain leaf with various items of sacrifice. The side in the front part of the pit is also prepared in such a way that a plantain leaf with sacrificial items can safely be put. Precaution is taken not to run over the hole by any livings because it is a bad sign if any living being runs over it. Then, the priest will bring close all the different items of food and drinks prepared for the ritual worship to the ritual hole.

The items are :
1. Pon or Tei- Salt,
2. Gushuk - Crush ginger,
3. Chakhom or Kha - dry fish,
4. Param or Jankang - dry meat,
5. Khajonlu or Thunkang - dry pieces of bamboo,
6. Gankang-Luikang or Gankhengkang - vegetable leaves,
7. Kathin- Karei - curry of intestine and liver,
8. Bnglu or Guakjanbang - pieces of pork curry,
9. Kaishit-Lourit or Ruidui - egg and
10. Nap - rice etc.

Lui-Laogai, a plantain leaf with a hoe is also kept ready along with these items. The Mhu will place four and three separate plates of plantain leaf on two bigger plates just in the front side of the pit and the other two plates on the right and left sides of the pit. And the inner sides of the hole are covered up with plantain leaf so that no dust may fall on the food and drinks. When the preparation is completed, ritual offering will start with the announcement of Mhunthimmei. Then, the priest will chant a long incantation towards the ancestors for well being, a long line of generation, and plentiful harvest of the family or lineage. The offering of food to the dead is an important ceremony in ancestor worship.

Then, the priest will share out the different items of food and drinks on the plantain leaf which is kept near the hole. Seven shares are placed on the two plates which are kept as the main plates just in the front side of the pit, and other two shares are put on the left and right sides of the pit. These seven shares are meant for the ancestors of the past seven generations and the other two, for Rashi-Rarou, the evils spirits and Changsitatmei, abnormal death. This is followed by offering of holy wine to all the shares of the ancestors including the evil spirits and abnormal death. After serving all these items to the ancestors, the priest after washing the Laogai, hoe with water and with the hoe in his right hand will start to collect and push all the separate seven shares gradually towards the hole.

Thus, the seven shares are all put inside the hole. The offerings of food and drinks to the ancestor worship may be interpreted as the sharing of a meal by the dead and the living. Then, the priest will fill up the hole with mud by using the hoe. The share of the evil spirits will be given towards the front side of the house with offering of wine. Similarly, the share of abnormal death will be given towards the backside of the house. After this, the priest will place a plantain leaf with a hoe on top of the mud which indicates a testimony between the ancestors and the living members of the family or the lineage.

It is believed that the dead ancestors have power to decide their destiny, and they are very cautious in performing the rites and observe all the ceremonies carefully. This is followed by a ritual called Chakmaidangmei in which the Mhu prays to the ancestors of the family or lineage not to give trouble to all the partakers of the ritual worship other than the family members. Holy wine is offered to Tingkao Ragwang and ancestors of the family or lineage. With this, the prohibition is lifted and all the participants are allowed to eat and drink. This is called Munlihmei.

The priest will first taste the food and drinks prepared for the worship. The rest of the food and drinks are now allowed to consume by the members of the family or the lineage and the participants in the ritual worship. The living offering is killed and the victim is destroyed and part is eaten by the worshippers. It is believed that the God takes only essence or spirit of the offering. If there is still any leftover, it must be thrown away at the backside of the house.

The ceremony comes to an end with a notion "Today we offer you sacrifice, help us; do not trouble us." The priest and his assistant are rewarded with cash or kind for completing the ritual worship and in return the family or lineage is blessed with well being and prosperity. Thus, after the performance of the ritual worship, the family or the lineage has felt quite relaxation from apprehensions and suspicions by making reconciled with their ancestors. This worship also has strengthened the bond of unity among the members of the family or the lineage.

Napchanmei, offering of food is another ritual of ancestor worship which observes in the festive occasions. It is performed by a household mother. The articles of the offering are some pieces of curry and rice taken out from the first part of the pot before it is served to anybody else. The mixture of the two with salt is placed on the top of three stones of the hearth. This offering is made to the spirits of the ancestor of the family or lineage as mark of love and respect to them. It is also to invoke their protection and blessings. John Parrat and Saroj N. Arambam Parrat write, there is an ancestral deity called Kairao, who also acts as protector of the family group. His special place is the hearth stones, where libation of wine and offerings of rice are made to him.

Bronislaw Malinowski writes, at the times of "festivals the spirits of ancestors and dead relatives return and receive offerings and sacrificial libations, mingle with the survivors and rejoice the feast." In the Gaan Ngai festival, rich tribute is given to all those who died in the previous year in the form of parting meal provided by families concerned to his or her friends. The grave is beautified and drinks and eatables are also placed on it as a way of sharing the meal with him or her. It may be interpreted as a farewell banquet– a send off of one who is unwilling to go at the termination of which the deceased is formally but firmly shown the door. Farewell dance is also given by the dormitory in which the deceased belonged. It is believed that the dead leaves the village after the festival.

According to T.C. Hodson, the erection of memorial stones has a close connection with rudiments of ancestor worship than is often suspected. He even states that the Manglatha or general village genna, held after the close of the cultivating season, is in part of ceremony of ancestor worship, but to him it meant as a ceremony to lay to final rest the ghosts of all the dead that have died within the year. Verrier Elwin writes, the real religion of the Nagas, the religion still professed in certain parts of the tribes is that cult which has been "the foundation of all civilized religion, and of all civilized society ancestor worship." Thus, the worship of ancestor cannot be considered as a mere religious aspect because the worship has socio-political significance in the true sense of the term.

Concluded ...