Gaan-Ngai gets underway
Parijat: Gaan-Ngai a symbol of unity; Manicharenamei: Nagas are one
Source: Hueiyen News Service / NNN

Imphal, January 09 2009: GAAN-NGAI, the weeklong post harvest festival of the Zeliangrong community has kick-started today with great pomp and show in various parts of Imphal but the main programme was organised at the Iboyaima Shanglen campus here in Imphal East today with cultural, traditional and musical extravaganza being the highlight of the fest. Celebrated under the theme of "Loss of culture is loss of identity", the festival, which is also the biggest festival of the Zeliangrong community, called upon the people of the state especially the Zeliangrong community to preserve and maintain their cultures and traditions.

The festival also called for unity and love of brothers and sisters for peace in the state.

Zeliangrong boys and girls presenting a dance item at the inaugural programme of the five day Gaan-Ngai Festival

Also known as a festival of the worship of God and honouring of the dead, Gaan-Ngai began with the oblation of Holy Wine to Tingkao Ragwang (indigenous God of the Zeliangrong), chanting of Hoi or Ho-hoing (an invocation to God) and extraction of Sacred Fire, which are an inseparable part of the Gaan-Ngai.

Addressing the gathering as chief guest, Manipur Health Minister Ph Parijat held that such festivals as the Gaan-Ngai wherein various communities of the state participated was a symbol of unity of the state and asserted that such bond could never be broken by anyone external force.

Maintaining that the fest was also a symbol of love and unity which was bringing the communities closer, the chief guest pointed out that the fest shows that "we are still fully united".

The Minister also called upon the Zeliangrong community to maintain their culture and traditions which was their identity.

"Whoever has lost their cultural or traditional identity has lost their identity" said the minister adding that when a Kuki, a Kabui or Meitei women wear their traditional dresses it gave them the 'identity'.

However, the dressing sense of the masculine society has change much to the development of the state and the likes, stated the minister.

The minister also lamented on the sad plight of the state where crime related incidents were reported everyday and prayed that the fest would bring about closeness of the people of the state and bring about peace.

Member of Parliament (MP), Outer Manipur, Mani Charenamei also called upon the Zemei, the Liangmei and the Rongmei of the Zeliangrong to be one and united.

Stating that the Gaan-Ngai is the biggest festival of the Zeliangrong community and duly recognised by the government of Manipur for the same, the MP called upon the Zeliangrong people to take it as an opportunity to bring about peace in the state.

Further asserting that the Zeliangrong people are Nagas, the MP stated that though they may differ in their dialects due to historical reasons and living at different places, it was important that they were united one as Nagas.

"Though we are different in dialects, we are Nagas and being one is our strength", stated the MP who addressed the occasion as the president of the function.

Fostering on the need for peace in the state, the MP asserted that the world was becoming a smaller place with the tribal people of Manipur even observing the Ningol Chak-kouba which is a sign of closing gap between the people of the state.

Charenamei also called upon the Zeliangrong people not to lose their cultural and traditional identities but to respect them.

Thanking the forefathers, the parents and the youths of today for preserving the culture and tradition, the MP also urged the people not to westernise or modify the cultural dances but to stick to the original to maintain the culture and tradition.

The festival is also marked by custom known as "Khangchu" wherein youths in a village go from house to house in the evening to extract the Sacred Fire, which is a sign of power and supremacy.

Also known as the Holy fire, youths sing and play drums while extracting the fire.

In return the youths are given something to eat, mostly non-veg delicacies, by the families they visited.