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| SIAMI |
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| Celebrated In
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North Cacher Hills, Assam |
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| Celebrated by
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Zemi Nagas |
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| Duration :
4 days |
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| Significance :
Harvest Festival |
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| Siami is the harvesting festival observed by
the Zemi Nagas of the North Cachar hills. It is in fact a festival organised by
the members of the boys and girls Morungs of the village. |
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The Celebration
Like the Bihu festival observed by the neighbouring
Dimasa Kacharis, in this festival also the youths are required to get
themselves prepared for the observance of this festival much ahead of the
actual celebration. Holding the grand feasts with the meats of hunted animals
and birds with rice-beer, dancing and singing are the main components of the
festival. The earnings of the Morungs by doing physical labour are spent in
this festival. |
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Some Traditional Rituals
This festival continues generally for four days.
Brewing of rice beer in large quantities in the name of each of the family
members of a family and drinking it in the bowls made from plaintain leaves on
the first day, feast for the villagers in the Morungs for three days and three
nights, presents of self-woven cloths to the boys by the girls, singing and
dancing continuously through out the days and nights by the members of the boys
and girls of the Morungs are some of the special features of the festival.
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An Interesting Feature
Another interesting episode of this festival is the
competition among the boys and girls of the Morungs to recapitulate the names
of plants, trees, flowers, creepers, orchids, medicinal plants, etc. and this
is perhaps the most educative aspect of this festival. |
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