Ali-ai-Ligang Festival

The Mishing people in Assam are one of the most colourful tribe characterized by separate tradition and culture. These people have no dearth of occasions to showcase their rich culture at regular intervals. Have you ever heard of Ali Aye Ligang? They celebrate the agriculrture-based festival in February to mark the advent of spring. Literally, Ali Aye Ligang means first sowing of seeds. Since fruits and roots are believed to have been their staple source of food during their days in the hillside, they observed the occasion with much pomp and gaiety. But later they have come down to the plains with influence of Aryan culture and took up rice cultivation. But the celebration remains unchanged even an iota.

Prayer, dance and feasts are integral parts of festival where there is no fixed date to celebrate the occasion. But it would celebrated on Wednesday. The festival is an occasion to unit the tribe who have no less contribution in the Assamese society.  

The heads of the families start sowing the seeds in the field after offering rice beer along with some other traditional stuff to appease the god. After the chanting and the sowing of the seeds, they promise to share the harvest amongst the benefactors and the beggars. Then they come back to their homes to join the celebrations with rice beer and meat.

Rice beer is served among the guests, near and dear ones on the occasion. The heavy feasting continues throughout the day. Towards the evening, they pray to their forefathers for helping them keep well. The striking feature is the traditional Mishing songs and dances with drum beats. They believe that the goddess will satisfy and bless them for bounteous harvest if the dance is performed to appease the Goddess of fertility. Usually, the youth take the lead. The menfolk wear gonro ugon, mibu galuk and dumur while the womenfolk wear ege, ribi gaseng. Now the celebration has reached beyond the cultivators and the Mishing people in the cities and towns come out to celebrate it with much zeal and fervor.