HELEIBAMBE
Celebrated By : Zemi Nagas
Festival Dance : Zemi Naga Dance
Festival Time : Mid-April
Time For The Festivity
This
festival is celebrated by each Zemi village according to the convenience
of the villagers prior to the starting of 'Jhum' cultivation some time in
mid April when monsoon is likely to set on the first day 'Tingkupeu', the
village priest, sacrifices a buffalo for the appeasement of 'Suhprai', the
crops God. The meat of the sacrificed animal is then distributed among
all.
The Rituals
After a feast in the boy's 'Morungs', the members of the 'Hengseuki' and
'Leuseuki' starts dancing and singing, which continue throughout the night
in presence of the villagers. On the second day young boys and girls sing
and dance in village streets stopping for sometime in front of each
household. Prior to the village street singing and dancing, the boys and
the girls of the Morung collect wild plaintain leaves from the nearby
forest and distribute to all households in the villages.
The main purpose of holding this festival is to appease the crop god
'Suhprai' so that they could have a bumper crop.
