April_-_May.gif (207851 bytes)

 
"B U S H U"
(The festival of Kachari Tribe)

kachari-y.jpg (20071 bytes) The Kacharis celebrate a number of festivals in a year. Among them the most important ones Bushu of Buhsu Jiba which is widely celebrated by the Dimasa Kacharis and (b) Baisagn-the spring festival of the Mech (Boro) Kacharis.

The Bushu is basically a post harvest festival and usually falls in the month of January every year after all the hard earned grains of paddy are harvested, thrashed and stored in the granaries. Although the exact date and place of the festival is not generally fixed, people see to it that it is celebrated when
there is moonlight in the nights because it is believed to be auspicious.

Recently, the people have decided to celebrated the festival in the last week of January. The other festival Baisagn is celebrated in the second week of April coinciding with the New Year Day of the Hindu calendar. The mode of celebration of these two festivals being basically similar, the soul of these festivals is feasting and merrymaking with socio-cultural activities.

Bushu is celebrated either village-wise or sometimes a number of villages in contiguous area together organise the festival. This promotes better unity and understanding among the people of all ages and social status. The food items of the festival include rice, mutton, chicken, pork, buffalo meat and rice beer. The killing of these animals is known as ‘Meesthaiba’ which involves ritualistic performance before the animals are actually killed. Thereafter the village Priest prays on behalf of the people and places an offering of cooked rice and meat in the name of ‘Sibarai’ the Creator. This offering is known as ‘Meedo-Karba’. This is followed by feasting and merrymaking through songs and dances in which people of all ages and sex participate. Traditional sports called ‘Rimin-nehlaiba’ (consists of two opponents trying to push each other holding a wooden bar by hands below the armpit and ‘Longthai-suguba’ (lifting of heavy stones ) etc. are played. Also competitions on cultural dances, folk songs, folktales etc. are held during the festival. The dancing group also performs in honor of the village chief or any invited quest which is known as ‘Bai-sengna’. The honored quest offers some ‘present’ to the group as a gesture of acknowledgement of the honor.

Bushu is of three types :

1. Hangsho-which lasts for 7 days and 7 nights.

2. Surem – lasts for 3 days and 3 nights.

3. Jidep Jiba – lasts for 1 day and 1 night.

Among these the last one is generally observed in every village.

The origin of this festival dates back to the days of yore. From time immemorial each Dimasa village had a youth dormitory called ‘Nohdrung’. All the male adults, particularly the youth lived in the dormitory and quard the village from theft, enemy raids etc. Besides. This served as the learning centre of handicraft, music, dance and other forms art. It was from this rural institution that gave rise to the idea of holding an annual feast after the paddy grains are harvested and stored. In the later years all the villages began to give religious importance to the feast and thus became an important festival of the people . Till today this festival is celebrate with pomp and grandeur by the Dimasa Kacharis.

 

Disclaimer:

The site is designed and hosted by National Informatics Centre, Nagaland State Centre, Kohima. Content is provided and maintained  by the state government of Nagaland. 


Ministry of Communications & Information Technology
National Informatics Centre,

 Nagaland State
Centre,
Room # 2, Central Block New Secretariat Complex,

Kohima-797004, Nagaland

E-mail: webmaster@naga.nic.in