The Phom Monyu festival is celebrated for 6 days beginning from 1st to 6th of April every year. This is a spring festival normally observed after the sowing is done in paddy fields. This is to invoke God’s blessing to have a bountiful harvest. Monyu also marks the end of winter and the onset of the monsoon season. Traditionally it is also a time of jubilation, sharing of love and concern with relatives and friends by the exchange of gift, rice beer, meat and various food items and also by making merriment. Wealthy ones and warriors also exhibited social status by dressing and family members with unique attires during this Monyu festival.
Monyu is also the time when young boys and girls would be taught the customary practices. Folk song and dances would be taught during Monyu. It is also the time when young boys renew the curtail relationship with their close friends by inviting them to have feast, which is called MONGCHEMBA HAHYING.
The first day SHONGTEN LAIPHEN:- On this day, plantain leaves and bamboos for steaming food items are collected. The second day AIHA OKSHOK:- On this day, each peer groups get together to celebrate the feast by killing their jointly bought animals. The third day CHINGI OKSHOK:-On this day, every family that has animal be slaughtered for the celebration of the festival. The fourth day YENTHIU:-Which means arrival of guest, Relatives and friends from far and near come and feast together. The fifth day CHINGTHEM:- The whole community members celebrate the feast by singing, dancing, drinking rice beer, beating log drum. The sixth day YEN-YAN:- T his is the closing day and dispersal day. In this way The Monyu festival of PHOMS is Celebrated with great significant.
Monyu is the time when sisters and daughter s who are married are reminded that they are still honoured and cared for, they would be invited to parent’s or brother’s house to celebrate the feast together. And many gift s foods items and thigh of the animal slaughtered in the festival would be given to them. This is called the NYIUKHA MOO. Married daughters or sisters will prepare a special food items and distribute to the elders of the clan to shows their love and honour and also take the blessing from the elderly people.
With the advent of Christianity, followed by the mass conversion in to Christianity; for some time, the Phom did not give much importance to traditional festival. Because, traditional beliefs and practices as devilish and outdated. And it because of this kind of wrong understanding that many of Phom’s culture were lost.
But today, with the dawn of new understanding that Christianity can also be adapted to the Phom culture and that traditional values can also be incorporated in the process of modernisation Phom youngsters are making strong effort to rediscover and preserve or rich heritage. Students unions of every Phom village are playing commendable role in this direction.
Therefore, today Monyu is seen as synthesis of traditional and modern was sails. Hence, it is important to mention that in and age where rapid change is taking place in every dimensions of our lives. The Phom-Naga youngster must also continue to make every effort for the preservation and development of our rich cultural heritage.
