A Konyak cultural troupe performing at the Aoleang festival, organised by the Konyak Union, Dimapur, on April 2 at the Konyak Community Centre, Purana Bazaar. (Morung Photo)
Morung Express News
Dimapur | April 2
On April 2, the Konyak community Centre in Purana Bazaar reverberated with sounds of revelry as the community marked the celebration of the colourful Aoleang Monyu— the premier festival of the tribe. The vibe was of a small-scale Hornbill Festival with the formal programme, where speakers took the stage, was followed by a series of spectacular performances from several cultural troupes. Unlike the other regular programmes, where performing troupes would wrap up after their routine, the troupes continued on to perform on the sidelines, engaging with the audience, as the next set of performers took centre stage.
Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change, YM Yollow. (Morung Photos)
Like most Naga traditional festivals, Aoleang coincides with spring. It is a time when sowing at the jhum fields closes, marking the beginning of a series of weeklong festivities. Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change, YM Yollow, who was a special guest at the celebration, described that the essence of the festival is rooted in building friendship and to strengthen bonds among the community. According to him, it is a bonding time for siblings, with emphasis on the extended family, especially married sisters and their husbands, irrespective of village or community. It is a time to celebrate life, victory as well as reminiscing on failures to take lesson, he said.
Former Lok Sabha Member, Wangyu Konyak, who spoke on the significance of the festival, recalled that up till the late 1950s, the festival was celebrated on different dates, with some areas/villages celebrating as early as February and others later, which continued till the first week of April. “It was in 1960 when the Konyak Students’ Conference (now Konyak Students’ Union) decided to introduce uniformity, fixing April 1-6 as the dates to celebrate Aoleang,” he said. Each of the six days has assigned names with specific rituals and practices. The third day is when the actual festivities begin with the ritual slaughtering of animals, he said, while adding that the sixth day is for tidying up the village and houses.
He further suggested that the name of the festival be changed to “Oleang” as the existing name carries no “full meaning” and requested the Konyak Union, Dimapur with the apex body— Konyak Union.
