4.5 Festivals of North East

Read about how different festivals are celebrated in the north-eastern States of India.

The North east region of India, consisting of seven States, is a place of diverse cultures. The different communities and tribes celebrate their unique festivals with great enthusiasm and joy. Many of their festivals are based on agriculture and no celebration is complete without the traditional music and dance.

Blessed with lush greenery and the mighty river Brahmaputra, the people of have a lot to celebrate. So is the chief festival of this State. It is celebrated by people of all religions, castes or tribes. The three different sets of Bihu mark the beginning of the harvesting season, the completion of sowing and the end of the harvest season.

The Bihu dance is a joyous one performed by both young men and women and is noted for is brisk steps and hand movement. Unusual instruments provide traditional music for the dance – the which is similar to a drum, the pepa, a wind instrument made from a buffalo horn, cymbals and a bamboo clapper. The songs have been handed down through many generations. Bihu competitions held all over Assam attract visitors and locals alike in large numbers.

Living further north in the mountainous region of the Himalayas, Arunachal Pradesh finds a mention in the ancient literature of the Puranas and the Mahabharata. Nature has provided the people of this region with a deep feeling for beauty which can be seen in their festivities, songs and dances.

The new year festival, called Losar is perhaps the most important festival in certain areas of Arunachal. On this occasion, people clean out their homes to bring in the new year and to discard the old.

A charming festival of Manipur-Ningol Chakouba-binds and revives the relationship between married girls and their parents. The women and their children are given a sumptuous feast and gifts. During Cheiraoba, the Manipur new year festival in April, people clean and decorate their houses and prepare special festive dishes. As part of the ritual, the villagers climb the nearest hilltops for they believe that this help them rise to a higher plane in this life.

The Spring Festival or Chapchar Kut is an important occasion, mostly celebrated in Mizoram. Men and women of all ages, wearing traditional and headgear, perform folk dances and sing traditional songs on this occasion. Drums, gongs and cymbals add to the festive air! Wangala or the hundred-drum festival is the most important festival celebrated by the Garos in the villages of . This harvest festival is celebrated to mark the end of a period of hard work, which naturally brings a good harvest. The dance performed during the festival has two parallel lines – one of men and the other of women, clad in their festive costumes. While the men beat the drums, the lines of dancers move forward together in a rhythmic manner.

The main feature of festivals in is that all the people join in the celebrations. Many of the dances performed during some of the festivities represent hunting, fishing, food-gathering and various other activities. Some of the festivals attract people from all over India.

Nagaland consists of different groups of people who are unique in their customs and traditions and the festivities they celebrate. Songs and dances form the soul of these festivals through which their oral history is passed down. A major festival is Moastu celebrated mainly in the villages after the sowing season. Dressed in colourful clothes and headgear decorated with feathers and wild boar tusks, the villagers dance to traditional music.

Hardly a month passes in any f the seven State without a festival or two. Most of them have a religious importance or significance, as the people offer thanks to the gods for a good harvest to prosperity, or ask for protection against calamities. But these celebrations also help to encourage cultural and artistic activities and bring out the natural talent of the people.

ऴ녍दाथ थ : Diverse – varied, various ;वळवळध, भिꅍन. Unique – exclusive, exceptional ; अ饍वळतीय, वळऱसण. Lush – opulent, magnificent ; ताजे, टळटळीत. Brisk – hurried, quick ; चऩल.

Handed down – passed on to ; ऩुढे नेऱे, ऩोषोचळऱे. Discard – throw away ; टाकू न/पे कू न देणे. Revive – rejuvenate, refresh ; ऩु셁煍जीवळत करणे, चते ना येण.े Sumptuous – splendid, lavish, ि핍य, थाटमाट अशऱेऱे, चमचमीत.

Headgear – headdress ; भऴरोिूवण, ऩगडी, डो啍याळर घाऱण्याच े आिूवण. Calamities – disasters, tragedies ; आऩत्ती, शंकटे. Bring out – to make apparent, to effectively develop ; उत्तजे न देणे, प्रोत्शाहषत करणे.

Write why the following festivals are celebrated.

1) Diwali : It marks Lord Krishna’s triumph over Narakasur. People worship Laxmi, the Goddess of wealth, for future prosperity. 2) Holi : It is a spring festival held on full moon day of phalgun in March or April. It signifies the victory of good over evil. It also relates to the great devotee prahald who worshipped Lord Vishnu. People celebrate Dhulwad (2nd day of Holi), Rang Panchami for fun and frolic. 3) Ramzan : It is the holy month for Muslims. The festival Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated after fasting the whole month of Ramzan. 4) Dussehra : This festival is celebrated in the memory of Lord Ram’s victory over Ravana. It signifies the victory of good over evil. 5) Christmas : This festival is celebrated on 25th Decemner as of the birth of Lord Jesus Christ. It is related with family reunion and merry making. 6) Pongal : Pongal is celebrated in Tamil Nadu in the beginning of the harvesting season.

Write down any five features that are common to all festival celebrations.

1) Safeguarding cultural heritage. 2) Expressing religious sentiments. 3) Music, dances in most of the festivals. 4) Enjoyment, good dresses and food. 5) Meeting friends and relatives.

Language Study

1) Complete the word by using correct letters

a) S e _ s o n b) d a _ c e c) m _ s I c d) f e s _ v a l

Ans. a) s e a s o n (b) d a n c e ( c ) m u s I c ( d ) f e s t I v a l

2) Put the words in alphabetical order.

i) Harvest, tradition, prosperity, clad.

ii) Customs, celebrate, consists, cultural.

Ans. i) clad, harvest, prosperity, tradition

ii) Celebrate, consists, cultural, customs.

3) Punctuate the following.

1) Where there is a will theres a way 2) did the teacher believe riteshs story

Ans. 1) where there is will there’s a way.

2) Did the teacher believe Ritesh’s story?

4) Make four words (minimum 3 letters) using the letters in the word. Charming

Ans. Charming. Charm, arm harm, hang, ring

5) Spot the error and rewrite the correct sentences.

1) The new year festival are called Losar.

2) The women and their children gets good feasts and gifts.

Ans. 1) The new year festival is called Losar

2) The women and their children get good feasts and gifts.

6) Complete the word chain of adjectives. Add four words, each beginning with the last letter of the previous word.

Brave :

Ans. Brave, eager, rapid, daring great

7) Make meaningful sentence by using the phrase –‘bring out’

Ans. The competition of nay kind bring out your real talent. 8) Add clause to expand the sentence meaningfully

Ans. The old man lost his son who was the only breadwinner in his family.

9) Write the related ‘nouns’ for the given word.

noise

idea big house

animal

10) Change the form of the sentences given below as per the instructions, without changing meaning or tense.

1) The Bihu dance is performed by both young men and women.

(Rewrite using ‘as well as’)

Ans. The Bihu dance is performed both by young men as well as women.

2) Read about how different festivals are celebrated. (Frame wh-qestion to get the underlined answer.)

Ans. What shall we read about?

3) No celebration is complete without the traditional music and dance. (Rewrite the sentence as in affirmative sentence.)

Ans. Any celebration is incomplete without the traditional music and dance.

4) The spring Festival is an important occasion, …… (Add a Question Tag.)

Ans. The spring Festival is an important occasion. Isn’t it?

5) Losar is the most important festival in certain areas of Arunachal.

(Rewrite the sentence using positive Degree.)

Ans. No other festival in certain areas of Arunachal is as (so) important as Losar.

6) The women and their children are given a sumptuous feast and gifts. (Begin with the word ‘They ….’ And change the voice)

Ans. They give the women and their children sumptuous feast and gifts.

7) People believe that his will help them rise to a higher plane in this life.

(Frame a Wh-question to get the under lined part as an answer.)

11) Frame word related to the following as per instructions.

1) Related Verbs.

Decorate Enjoy

Festivals

Dance Sing Celebrate e

1. 1) On what occasions are the three sets of Bihu festival celebrated? Ans. The three different sets of Bihu festival are celebrated according to different agricultural activities. These three sets are the beginning of the harvesting season, the completion of sowing and the end of the harvest season.

2) What are special characteristics of Bihu dance and music? Ans. The Bihu dance is joyous one performed by both young men and women. It is know for its quick steps and hand movement. Unusual instruments provide traditional music for the dance. They use the dhol which is similar to a drum, the pepa, a wind instrument made from a buffalo horn, cymbals and bamboo clapper. The songs have been passed on to every new generation.

3) Read the passage and fill up the table.

State Chief festival Reasons for Ways of celebrating celebrating

1) Manipur Cheiraoba Manipur New year People clean and festival decorate their houses, prepare festive dishes. As a ritual the villagers climb the nearest hilltops.

2) Mizoram Spring festival or To celebrate the All men and women Chapchar Kut arrival of spring of all ages wear traditional dresses and headgear. Perform folk dances and sing traditional songs with drums, gongs and cymbals.

3) Meghalaya wangala The harvest festival Two parallel lines – celebrated to mark one of men and the the and of a period other of women, of hard work. clad in their festive costumes, perform dance. Men beat drums and the lines of dancers move forward together in rhythmic manner.

4) How do the villagers dance during the wangala festival? Ans. The dance performed by the villagers wangala festival has two parallel lines. One is of men and the other is of women. Wear their festive costumes and the men beat the drums. The lines of dancers move forward together in a rhythmic manner. 5) Why are festivals so important in the seven-sister states of North – east India? Ans. All the seven states have many things in common. Rarely a month passes without a festival or two. Most of them have religious importance or significance, as the people offer thanks to the gods for a good harvest to prosperity, or they pray for protection against calamities. The people live in these seven states mostly in the same situations and have the same atmosphere and problems. They get solace in the celebrations.

2. 1) Choose the appropriate alternatives to complete following.(Answers are given directly.) 1) Every festival of North-East India is incomplete without dance and music. a) food and sweets b) dance and music c) lights and crackers 2) People of Arunachal Pradesh are true lovers nature and its beauty. a) Assam b) Mizoram c) Arunachal Pradesh 3) The Bihu festival is celebrated three times a year to mark the stages of agriculture. a) Bihu b) chapchar kut c) wangala 4) Arunachal Pradesh finds a mention in an ancient literature of the Puranas and Mahabharat. a) Ramayan b) vedas c) puranas

2) State whether the following statements are True or Flase. Ans. 1) In Tripura a few people join in the celebrations of festivals. - False 2) people in these seven states pray God for their health. - False 3) These celebrations of festival bring out the natural talents Of the people. - True 4) Songs and dances of tell you their history orally. - True 3) Pick out the Adjective forms of the following words from the Passage. (answers are given directly.) 1) Diversity – diverse 2) Joy - joyous 3) Tradition - traditional 4) Mountain - mountainous 5) Rite - ritual 6) Importance – important 7) Festival - festive 8) Rhythm - rhythmic 9) Variety - various 10) Religion - religious 11) Artist - artistic 12) Colour - colourful.

4) Pick out the noun forms of the following words from the passage. 1) complete - completion 2) move - movement 3) green - greenery 4) celebrate - celebration 5) live - life 6) dance - dancer 7) village - villager 8) rhythmic - rhythm 9) prosper - prosperity 10) celebrate - celebration 11) significant - significance 12) act - activity

5) Match the words in Column ‘A’ with their meanings in Column ‘B’

‘A’ ‘B’

calamities Important

Bring out Importance

Major Disasters

Significance Develop and present to public

6) Correct the wrongly spelt words from the lesson and make a word chain of noun, with them Wrongly spelt words Correct word

1) Mannor Manner

2) saeson Season

3) natere Nature

4) dram Drum

5) lacals Locals

6) festivel Festival 7) erd End

8) retual Ritual

Word chain : Festival, local, season, nature, end, drum, manner, ritual.