Khriesaneisa Rutsa
Sekrenyi is one of the most important festivals of the Angami Nagas. Sekrenyi is a compound of ’Sekre’ plus ’nyi’ which denotes the observation of rites for two days by men folk only. It is also called ’Phousanyi’ which means festival of “Purification/Sanctification.” The term phousanyi is more appropriate and specific as to the nature of rituals performance of the festival. The Angamis counts the days of the months on the basis of actual Lunar appearance, therefore the date of festival and its commencement is not fix and occasional to the modern calendar. Also Angami Villages observed this Sekrenyi as an according to their reading of lunar appearance, henceforth, different timing prevails among the villages in observation of this festival. However, traditionally this falls between later part of the winter and early part of spring in a year.
To account one of its basic values is that there is belief that, the act of rites will foretell all kinds of lucks of the family in that current year.
First three days are name as ‘Kizhie’, ‘Sekre’ and ‘Thepruo’. Second day is the most important day. Traditionally Sekrenyi is celebrated for 12 days. Although, Sekrenyi’s rituals confined to the 3 days, the actual celebration may be prolonged to 12 days, due to some certain in social and cultural activities, such as mass mate feat, which called Kracü, Gate pulling and village to village festival- Kekinyi or any other occasion that arises.
Sequence of rituals act
Kizhie: The first day of the festival is called ‘kizhie’, on this day, the mother or eldest female member of the family (incase if mother was not there) will place some strips of folded banana leaf (Particular banana) on the main pillar of the house after pouring in some ‘zumho’ (locally made rice beer) which she prepared night before. While doing this she would pronounce and asked blessing for bumper harvest and good health for her family members. This first ritual act is done very early in the morning.
No one work on this day except killing of domestic animals and preparation of meals. During the day time womenfolk will draw water and store for next two days but as and when this pond is cleaned by two males on the eve of Sekre, womenfolk are forbidden to draw water any more till the Sekre is over. In this act, on the ‘Kizhie’ evening the two males will go to the proposed pond and clean the water by throwing the top water and put two bamboo sticks across infront the pond to indicates that this pond was cleaned and purified for the purposed of Sekre. After this ritual, women are not allowed to draw water for the next two days. Even menfolk is not allow to draw water on the ‘Thepruo day’
Every family irrespective of economic status will collect enough quantity of meat, rice and blended enough rice beer (Zutho) for the period of the festival.
Sekre: The second day is called Sekre. On this day, all menfolk except babies rise up early in the morning and go for cleanse at the pond and draw water, this is called ‘Dzüseva’ (Touching of sleeping water), Since this ritual is done early in the morning when it is dark, they lighted the bunch of twigs to torch their way to the pond. They wear new clothes, take guns, daos, spears etc, and wash themselves with the supposed purified water. But before the other menfolk is allow to do ritual in the pond, two elderly person (choice by the villagers before hand) will first performed rituals and ask blessings on-behalf of the village. After this, menfolk wash their face, hands and feet and also splash water to the corner of their shawl and they will say, ‘all the bad omen, bad lucks and ill health are chased away’. Then, they also splash water to the sharp end of the their spear and say, ‘let the aim of this spear be straight to kill the enemies and animals as well’ and to the daos, they say ‘let this dao of mind be the sharpest dao to cut enemies and animals that may come across. After this act of washing with the supposed purified water, they believed and hoped that all the ill health and ailment had gone away from them. Then, they fetch water and come back home.
Next, all the male members will strangle one male fowl (kizhievü) each to death for cooking as well as to test and see their omen, which is called Geizhie. These fowls should be purely one colour only and it should not be spotted or white. The belief is that if anyone used spotted/white fowl for this ritual will be easily seen or spotted by the wild animals or enemies. In this process, the position of the legs of fowl is carefully observed and checked the significance of one’s omen or luck for the times to come. Here, if the right leg flapped over the left leg, it is considered to be a good sign and if both the legs stretch parallel then it is said ‘good’ and if the left leg flapped over the right leg, it is also considered ‘not so bad’. During the process of strangulation and dying, the fowl shit, then it is believed to be a good sign. Besides this, the intestine of each of the fowl ‘kizhievümou’ is pulled out and tight along the main front pillars of the house near ‘kizhie co’. It is also belief that the intestine of each fowls foretells the good or bad omen of the concerned persons. Some people are expert in reading this kind intestine, so they go around the houses to tell what the intestines are mean for.
A new furnace is be set up in the middle of the open floor and fire is produced by doing traditional method of fire making- ‘Seguomishü’. In this process a fine and dry twigs were collected and placed and with the friction of a bamboo strips a fire is alighted. The new hearth is made with tripod. Here three woods are stuck in a triangular shape for cooking purpose. Before testing anything, ritual process like ‘Mhopieva’ is performed by the head of the family. In this ritual, he invoked God’s blessing for good harvest, good health and to be a good warrior etc. This is followed by special rite and is performed by all the malefolk with rice beer, liver of chicken, ginger and salt, which is called ‘Chüsepe’. In this ritual, all the male members offered prayer with all the above mentioned items in a piece of banana leave and goes behind the main the door and throw his items and asked god to bless them with prowess/strength and good vision so that he can see the enemies or wild animals and kill them. At this specific period of ‘Chüsepe’ it is forbidden to go to visit others house as this ritual is done purely to kill enemies and all the curse words are pronounced so if any man goes to others house during this ritual , then he/she may get sick and may not live long.
The strangulated chickens were then dress and cook absolutely mean for male and were ‘forbidden’ to share with the female members of the family. Even womenfolk also strangulated chicken (Female) each for all the members and cook but men are not allowed to eat this.
In this purification period menfolk also sleep separately. All the utensils, cups, plates, pots, spoons etc. will be new ones. These utensils which had used before will not be used in these two days purification ceremonies.
‘Thepruo’: The third day and the last ritual is called ‘Thepruo’. On this day, in the evening all the male members who are performing ‘Sekre’ will go together beyond the village gate(Kharu) and bid a farewell to ‘Sekresenuo’ (The Omen of the sekre) wishing him a good health and asking him to come back in the next year also for sekrenyi celebration). Before the last ritual ‘thepruo’ all the cooked chicken meat
One of the most pompous and interesting features of Sekrenyi is ‘Mass mate feast’ (Kracü). It is celebrated for three days commencing from the fourth day to sixth day of the festival. It is usually observed by the youth who are of the same age called ‘Pelikro’. The participation of such special activities compels one to learn costumes, literatures, rituals, folk songs, dance and other social and traditional values.
The author is Programme Executive, North Eastern Service (NES), All India Radio, Shillong.
