Ali Ai Ligang

Ali Ai Ligang

Mishing girls dancing during Ali Aye Ligang
Begins First Wednesday of 'Gimur Polo'
Frequency Annually
Location(s) Assam, India
Organised by Mishing people

Ali-Aye-Ligang (Assamese: আলি-আঃয়ে-লৃগাং) is a spring festival associated with agriculture, specially with the beginning of the Ahu paddy cultivation.[1] It is celebrated by the Mishing or Mishing ethnic community of Assam, India. The festival marks onset of sowing seeds. The name of the festival is made up of three terms, 'Ali', legumes, 'Aye', fruit and 'Ligang', to sow.[2][3]

Time of the festival

The festival begins on 'Ligange lange', the first Wednesday of 'Gimur Polo', which occurs in February in the Gregorian calendar[4][5] or on Wednesday of the month of Falgun of Indian/Assamese calendar and in the month of February in English calender which lasts for five days.

Activities

In this festival young people of the community in particular participate 'GUMRAAG SOMAN' and dance to the tune of folk songs and melodious 'oinitom'. The first day of the festival is marked by the ceremonial start of paddy sowing and throughout the festival many others activities such as ploughing and tree cutting are forbidden.[6]

Feast

The last day of festival called as ‘Lilen’ is observed with a grand community feast. During this festival, Mishings indulge in great banquet with Poro Apong or Nogin Apong (homemade Rice wine) with various dishes, especially made with pork meat. ‘Purang Apin’ (packed boiled rice) is cooked in water with special leaves. This is a special dish prepared by Mishings which is cooked only during Ali Ai Ligang.

Dance forms & songs

In this festival a popular dance is performed by the young Mishing people which is known as Gumrag. The formal dance of the festival starts from the easternmost house of the village and in the end it extending towards the field and the river. This dance is performed by encircling the courtyard of the house of the villagers.

Songs & music

The songs of Ali-Ai-Ligang do not remain restricted to the songs of youth alone. The subjects and themes of the songs are varied. They include the life of a man, his sufferings in this life and his death. Apart from them, the songs describe the matters of individual love and affection including joy and pain. Mainly the songs of the festival speak of the various experiences of the Mishings in their day to day life. The Music composed for these festivals consists of instruments like the drums, sifung (flutes), cymbal, gong and gungang (gagana).[7]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Mishings_Portrait_traditional". Themishingsassam.com. Retrieved 2013-04-10.
  2. ↑ "Ali-ai-Ligang being celebrated in Assam". Zeenews.india.com. 2011-02-16. Retrieved 2013-04-10.
  3. ↑ "Festivals of Mishing Tribes of Assam". Vedanti.com. 2011-01-20. Retrieved 2013-04-10.
  4. ↑ February 16, 2011 (2011-02-16). "Today is Ali Aye Ligang Festival for Mishings in Assam". Northeastblog.in. Retrieved 2013-04-10.
  5. ↑ "Welcome to Assam Tourism Official website of Deptt. of Tourism, Assam, India". Assamtourism.org. Retrieved 2013-04-10.
  6. ↑ "Ali-ai-Ligang being celebrated in Assam - Oneindia News". News.oneindia.in. 2011-02-16. Retrieved 2013-04-10.
  7. ↑ "Ali- ai- Ligang: The Festival of the Mishings". Informationkhazana.com. Retrieved 2013-04-10.

External links