People are thrilled, excited and are filled with enthusiasm to welcome the spring season. However, this is considered to be an individual celebration in which only the clan members can participate. But, if someone wants to join the celebration and to celebrate it on a large and grand scale, they should consult their family members and must go to the ‘Nyibu’ priest to express his desire. However, there is no obligation for anyone to celebrate this in any particular year but depends entirely on personal inclination.
About Morom :
The ‘Morom’ festival can be divided into three types viz. i) Runth, ii) Takum Padu and iii) Ronshar. ‘Runth’ in other words (Rungti or Gyamo Pido) is quite a big occasion and is performed on a grand and befitting manner. In this ‘Runth’, the whole of the Apatani Valley participated in one way or other. All sorts of animals, fowls etc. viz. mithun, pigs, goats etc. are sacrificed and the meat is distributed in all the villages of the Apatani plateau. On the contrary, ‘Takum Padu’ is a more complicated ritual which involves only the clan or group of clans. ‘Rungshar’, on the other hand, is performed and celebrated on a very small scale, where only one or two mithuns are sacrificed. In all these. ‘Morom-Mudd’, the master of the occasion proposes the celebrations that he wishes to perform and the priest advises him accordingly. However, the ‘Padu-Lodu’ is celebrated and done before the actual ritual of the ‘Morom’ begins. After this, the priest consults the omens, by chanting hymns and holding an egg in his hand, he invokes the ‘Uyu’. As indicated by omens, he then decides the date to start the activities connected to the celebration. Collecting of fire-wood is considered to be the first work of the celebration. Then the host of the celebration informs everyone in the village or clan about the cutting of bamboos in his garden. Subsequently, one person from each family in the village clan goes to the spot where the fire-wood is to be cut. This action continues for the whole day.
Old and elderly people cut the fire-wood and the youth and children collect the pieces at a particular place. Women of the clan and the relatives and kinsmen of the host from other villages bring cooked rice, apong and meat to feed the workers. Sufficient amount of fire-wood is collected and assembled to last for the whole celebrations. This occasion is known as ‘Yashum Padi’. Even the priest goes to the bamboo garden, where the fire-wood is cut and chants hymns, while the villagers are at work. After the cutting of the fire-wood is over, the villagers are find by the host of the rituals / celebrations and in the evening they go back to the respective houses. Then the priest comes to the host houses in the village and offer prayers to bless them and for their welfare and well-being. After taking food, drink etc. the priest goes back to his own residence for that particular night.
It is always seen that, from that day onwards the host of the celebration is always busy collecting rice-beer (Apong), meat, endi chadar rice, money, fire-wood etc. All the clan members of the host, kinsmen and of course, the neighbours provides all possible aid to the host. Sometimes, they even work throughout the day and the night in the hosts house to make necessary arrangements. Renovation and repairing of the house i.e., “Semla-Mudu” is done with the help of neighbours, relatives and clan members etc. When everything is ready and kept in proper order, the priest is then informed. Then, the priest informs the host the ‘Shikha Lulido’ has to be performed on a fixed date. Generally, in the wee hours of the morning or at cock’s crow or even earlier. However, for “Runth Mudd” the rituals and rites are performed by more than one priest, but, if the “Runshar Mudd” is performed, then only one priest is more than sufficient. The priest wears a traditional religious dress and comes to the hosts house. Then, he sets up a stick at the front of the hosts house which is known as ‘Shikhra’ and starts chanting hymns to worship the ‘Uyu’ to save the people from miseries and to safeguard the welfare of the society. After this, the priest rests for sometime and is offered ‘Apong’ by the host. The priest then performs ‘Shikha Lulida’ on the Verandah (corridor) of the house and comes to the lapang to perform ‘Subu Hido’. Elderly and old people in the village sits on the lapang to witness the performance of ‘Subu hido’ where a mithun is tied up for sacrificial purpose and then the priest starts chanting hymns. Then, the host’s wife comes and performs the ‘Subu-Supundo’. While, the priest performs the ‘Subu hido’ (the lapang on the public platform), the villagers prepares the ‘Sikha Pado’ (altar) where the mithun is to be sacrificed near the ‘Shikhra’. Throughout the day, people are busy in worshipping and for making necessary arrangements. On the other hand, women are busy preparing food and looking after the guests.
Then in the evening, ‘Shikha Botinto’ is performed. The mithun is brought by a ‘mura’ (a person of lower status) from the ‘Apong’ to the ‘Subu-Shikha’ and tied up. Then, the lady of the house stands with ‘Liya’ (cane basket) ‘Linya’ (lao) with ‘attang’ (rice powder) ‘apong’ (beer) to perform ‘Subu-Supundo’. After this, the Nyibu performs and chants hymns to the deities to accept the offerings and to safeguard the welfare of the society. Then, a strong man stands with a Yayu sword to slaughter the ‘mithun’ which is known as “Su-ta-to”. Then the host’s lady is directed to perform ‘Subu-Supundo’. In this, rituals, the lady puts ‘apong’ and ‘attang’ on the head of the mithun with her right hand. The mithun is then slaughtered and several blows of the sword are given to its body till its dead. Thus, the ‘Morom’ festival continues after this rites and rituals also, till the sixteenth day of the celebration, which is other words is known as ‘Midi-Lindo’.
Conclusion :
It is believed that Apatani society was created with a small population, which was not that large as it is today. Destruction and natural calamities have done the toll. According to the myth, ‘mipor’ and ‘hape’ the sons of ‘Doni’ and ‘Libo’ respectively were prominent and important personalities of that time. It happened once that ‘Mipoo’ fell ill seriously and everybody was perturbed and nervous not knowing what was to be done to cure him. Finally, ‘Pahin-Kedo’ (omen) was taken by ‘Nyibu Abra’. He said that ‘Mipor’ was suffering from the displeasure of bad spirits. He also said that ‘Mipor’ can’t be cured until the worship of the ‘Uyu’ was done and also suggest that the ‘Uyu’ should be worshipped in the month of ‘Morom-Polo’ only. The gifts required to worship ‘Donyi’ were long wide leaves of the trees named ‘Hee-zee’, Tali Pessa (Pine) and the plants ‘Tazar’ and ‘Taki’ should be collected from the jungle. After collecting all these items, long ropes were made to tie up the mithun and other animals near the ‘Lapang’. In other to please ‘Danyei’, the ‘Nyibu’ directs the people to bring the branches of the ‘Kra tree’ for making ‘Shekha’ (altar) and shaved bamboo tassels for decorations. After all the arrangements, performance of the rituals were done as advised by the priest.
The name of the priest for these occasions is ‘Morom Mudd’ and since then the Apatani people have celebrated ‘Morom’ every year to make their society prosperous and strong.
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