Location
The Aos in Nagaland are known for their festivity, hospitality, freshness and what not. Amid back breaking toil in the paddy fields they keep waiting for celebrations to relax, refresh and entertain since they don’t have dearth of festivals to be celebrated with pomp and gaiety. The much-vaunted festival for the workaholic ethnic tribe is Moatsü. Festivity grips these people, mostly, in Chuchuyimlang areas towards the end of April.
Usually observed after sowing the seeds, the annual spring festival requires a number of religious formalities apart from recreation and entertainment. Immediately after the end of their works in the paddy fields they start repairing and cleaning their houses, ponds to gear up for the annual event which begins on May 1. The main attraction is peppy songs and dances that pull huge crowds to the festival venue for three days. The significant religious ceremony during this festival is Sangpangtu where men and women, old and young alike sit around a huge fire and share rice beer and meat. Then the elders predict the fate of the villagers.
There was a time when the harvest festival took place for six or seven days. But the people of the colourful ethnic tribe reduced it to a 3 days affair without allowing the culture and tradition to be disrupted. Only the period was reduced and not the degree of festivities. The best place to visit to share the joy of the festival is the huge Chuchuyimlang village in Mokokchung district. This is the only Ao village in the north eastern state where the people from the Dikhu tribe are invited to share the joy. Non Ao people are not allowed in other villages during the festival. The huge village comprises Longzung mopu, Teyong mopu, Impang mopu and Imlang Mopu and the village is reachable for the tourists on the National Highway 61 on the way to the Mokokchung town.
Usually observed after sowing the seeds, the annual spring festival requires a number of religious formalities apart from recreation and entertainment. Immediately after the end of their works in the paddy fields they start repairing and cleaning their houses, ponds to gear up for the annual event which begins on May 1. The main attraction is peppy songs and dances that pull huge crowds to the festival venue for three days. The significant religious ceremony during this festival is Sangpangtu where men and women, old and young alike sit around a huge fire and share rice beer and meat. Then the elders predict the fate of the villagers.
There was a time when the harvest festival took place for six or seven days. But the people of the colourful ethnic tribe reduced it to a 3 days affair without allowing the culture and tradition to be disrupted. Only the period was reduced and not the degree of festivities. The best place to visit to share the joy of the festival is the huge Chuchuyimlang village in Mokokchung district. This is the only Ao village in the north eastern state where the people from the Dikhu tribe are invited to share the joy. Non Ao people are not allowed in other villages during the festival. The huge village comprises Longzung mopu, Teyong mopu, Impang mopu and Imlang Mopu and the village is reachable for the tourists on the National Highway 61 on the way to the Mokokchung town.
Venue: Chuchuyimlang Village
