Namsai is a small town in the state of Arunachal Pradesh. This is the town in which I was born and where I have spent the lovely childhood days. This tiny town away from the crowd and pollution of the city has a small population which comprises of various different North Eastern communities like, the Khamti tribe who are the natives, Assamese, Manipuris, Oriyas, Adis and so on. This town has not only given me an opportunity to live so close to nature but to also be familiar with various cultures.Though,I am a Manipuri, I have seen and experienced different ceremonies of these different cultures. like the “Poy pee Mau” of the khamti’s and “Bihu” of the Assamese.
My friends Monika and Kosa in Kinnari dance costume
Cock dance of Khamti tribe
photo courtsey http://www.google.co.in/imgres?imgurl=http://farm3.static.flickr.com
The “Poi pee mau”, is the New Year festival of the Khamti tribe. It is celebrated with a traditional feast in which dishes like “Khaolam” (a rice cake cooked inside a bamboo shaft) and “Paasa”(burnt fish with a gravy of native leaves like “pichim-khim”,”makat” & “pokhoi-hom”) are cooked. This ceremony is accompanied by various Khamti dances like the Cock dance, War dance, Kinnari dance and so on.The Cock dance is performed by only two people who wear a head gear shaped like the head of the cock.This dance usually shows a fight between two cocks and is inspired by the ancient tradition of entertaining the king with a cock fight. The Kinnari dance is performed by a a group of dancers where the women wear “sin-sa-pha “(“sin” is a tight wrapper from the waist downwards, the sa-is the well fitted blouse and the “pha” a light piece worn on the upper body) and men wear “ Phanoi“ ,the dance is a combination of simple movements of the hand and foot. The war dance is performed by a group of men dressed like warriors. They wear a protective metal helmet and carry weapons like the sword and shield.Their dance movement are fast and aggressive.
photo courtsey http://www.google.co.in/imgres?imgurl=http://farm3.static.flickr.com
The “Poi pee mau”, is the New Year festival of the Khamti tribe. It is celebrated with a traditional feast in which dishes like “Khaolam” (a rice cake cooked inside a bamboo shaft) and “Paasa”(burnt fish with a gravy of native leaves like “pichim-khim”,”makat” & “pokhoi-hom”) are cooked. This ceremony is accompanied by various Khamti dances like the Cock dance, War dance, Kinnari dance and so on.The Cock dance is performed by only two people who wear a head gear shaped like the head of the cock.This dance usually shows a fight between two cocks and is inspired by the ancient tradition of entertaining the king with a cock fight. The Kinnari dance is performed by a a group of dancers where the women wear “sin-sa-pha “(“sin” is a tight wrapper from the waist downwards, the sa-is the well fitted blouse and the “pha” a light piece worn on the upper body) and men wear “ Phanoi“ ,the dance is a combination of simple movements of the hand and foot. The war dance is performed by a group of men dressed like warriors. They wear a protective metal helmet and carry weapons like the sword and shield.Their dance movement are fast and aggressive. 
My friends Monika and Kosa in Kinnari dance costume
photo courtesy http://www.google.co.in/imgres?
The “Bihu” which is predominantly a festival that belongs to Assam and the assamease people is also celebrated in a small scale by the assamese people of Namsai.The Bihu dance is the most ornamental and escalating feature of this festival.This dance is performed to celebrate the harvest season in the month of April.Before the Assamese new year arrives on the 14th of April and which announces the end of the Bihu mood,children and youth perform the Bihu dance at every houses of the locality and collect money to raise a fund for the community new year feast.I too have been a part of this group of youth ,and now recollect those moments with a smile of my face.The women wear “mekhla-chadar” and men dress in “dhoti” and tie a “gamcha” around their heads. The dance includes heavy movement of the hips and rhythmic casual movements of the wrist on the part of the women,while the men join them by singing songs of the beauty of the land and playing simple instruments like drums and gongs.The tune of the songs of the Bihu dance is very pleasing to the ear and the rhythm makes the viewers tap their foot.
The “Bihu” which is predominantly a festival that belongs to Assam and the assamease people is also celebrated in a small scale by the assamese people of Namsai.The Bihu dance is the most ornamental and escalating feature of this festival.This dance is performed to celebrate the harvest season in the month of April.Before the Assamese new year arrives on the 14th of April and which announces the end of the Bihu mood,children and youth perform the Bihu dance at every houses of the locality and collect money to raise a fund for the community new year feast.I too have been a part of this group of youth ,and now recollect those moments with a smile of my face.The women wear “mekhla-chadar” and men dress in “dhoti” and tie a “gamcha” around their heads. The dance includes heavy movement of the hips and rhythmic casual movements of the wrist on the part of the women,while the men join them by singing songs of the beauty of the land and playing simple instruments like drums and gongs.The tune of the songs of the Bihu dance is very pleasing to the ear and the rhythm makes the viewers tap their foot.
A Bihu Dance
photo courtesy http://www.google.co.in/imgres?
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