Metemneo Festival



Detailed Information about Metemneo Festival & Its Importance


India is a vast country with diverse geographical features and diverse people with diverse culture. If you travel to the North east corner of India then there you will find a beautiful state of Nagaland. This state has a great rich culture, tribal traditional custom which is so very different from the main stream India. It is basically green mountainous region where agriculture is the main economic activity. The people of the place have such a nice way of keeping their traditions and culture alive. There are many festivals that they are involved in which show their rich history and culture. One such very famous festival of Naga people in Nagaland is the Metemneo festival which is related to the agricultural bit. There are many tribal groups in Nagaland and this particular festival is celebrated primarily by one triabl group called the Yimchungers. The significance of the event is that it is observed after the millet crop of the region is harvested and to celebrate the event Yimchungers take 5 long days. Most of the time the festival fall between August to September months.

Off course the festival is an agricultural festival but it has gained more meaning than just being called the former. It is now a festival where all the people come together and share each other's joy. There are a dozen more festivals but Yimchungers give a lot of importance to this one. They say that this is the time when all bitterness must be washed away and that people forgive each other. This is the time when the differences are kept aside and all come together to be a part of this big 5 day event. The elders are usually the one who take initiation of the festival and they are the ones to tell people they must enjoy and be a part of the celebration as one spirit and not as different people.

The event makes the people very energetic and enthusiastic and they show great zeal during this time. It is also a time for them to thank the Almighty ad their ancestral deity for having given a good harvest. They engage in traditional rituals where by each and every member of the family offer prayers and thanking to their deity. The time in and around the festival is considered very auspicious and therefore many engagements, marriages, child birth and other important ceremonies are held during this time.

An environment of merriment and adventure spreads around the entire place and people make a variety of delicious traditional food that involved pork as the main item. The event is already very joyful and the marriages that take place between these 5 day adds to the charm and merriment. The whole ambience is just so rich where everybody seems to have a great time. However, Yimchungers also take time out during this period to remember the departed souls and to pray lord for another good life for them. The younger ones seek blessings from the elderly ones and make the event very meaningful by keeping the age old tradition alive.