Indian Tribal Festivals

Introduction

Indian tribal festivals have been a part of the framework of tribal India for hundreds of years. Even today this tradition continues. In all, the 573 tribal groups prevailing in the country possess their individual kind of festival. Indian tribal festivals possess a distinctive quality of their own, standing out from the other regular city festivals happening each other day. The tribal mode of celebrating, their costumes, jewellery, dancing, singing, language or the quaint ceremonious atmosphere in some far-off jungle or mountain, makes it all the more interesting.

Bhagoria Festival

Bhagoria Fest is a festival celebrated by the tribal people in Madhya Pradesh (originally known as 'Malwa'). Also known as Bhagoria Haat Festival, during this festival, young boys and girls are allowed to elope after choosing their partners. The Bhagoria Haat Festival belongs to the local tribes called Bhils and Bhilalas.

A boy in Bharoria Festival

Bhagoria Haat Festival is organized in the district of West Nimar (Khargon) and Jhabua. The haat is organized in the form of a 'swayamvar' or a marriage market where young girls and boys are allowed to choose their partners. Bhagoria Haat Festival has an agricultural significance attached to it, that is, it coincides with the end of harvesting. So some people also celebrate it to mark the completion of harvesting.

But the star attraction of Bhagoria Haat Festival of Madhya Pradesh is the running away of young boys and girls with their partner who are later accepted as husband and wife by the society. During the Bhagoria Haat Festival in Madhya Pradesh, the boys put red powder on the face of the girl to whom he wants to get married, if the girl too wishes to marry the same boy, she has to put the same red powder on the boy's face after which both of them run away from that place. But if the girl does not agree in the first chance, the boy can go behind her to persuade her and may win her heart.

Moatsu Mong Festival

The Moatsü Mong festival is celebrated by the Ao people of Nagaland, India.

Moatsü is celebrated in the first week of May every year. Various rituals are performed during this period. The Aos observe Moatsü Mongafter the sowing is done. The festival provides them a period of recreation and entertainment after the stressful work of clearing fields, burning jungles, sowing seeds, cleaning up the Tsubu (wells) and repairs & construction of houses by elders of the Putu 

A seen of Moatsu Mong festival

Menden, stretching over a week. The Moatsü festival is marked by peppy songs and dances. The whole festival full of merry making and fun is observed only for three days from May 1 to 3. During this festival one of the symbolic celebrations is Sangpangtu, where a big fire is lit and men and women sit around it putting on their complete best attire, the womenfolk serve the wine and meat. Village witch doctors forecast whether good or evil days are awaiting the people and the village by readings of the celebration of the Moatsü festival. This festival was also marked with ritualistic public fornication of a young virgin and a pubescent boy to mark the fertility of the land at the time. This ritual was stopped since the advent of Christianity to the land.

Festival meaning :-

The principal aim of this festival is to invoke Almighty God's blessings after finishing such diverse activities:

• Repairs and construction of houses by elders of the Putu Menden (Village Council)
• Marriages in spring season
• Ploughing of old and new Jhum Kheti
• Cleaning up the Tsubü (Water Wells)

On completion of all these manifold activities celebration of Moatsü Mong takes place.

Bija Pandu Festival

The festival of Chaitra parva is known as Bija Pandu among the tribal people known as Koya who are concentrated in the Malkangiri sub-division of the district of Koraput. The Koya villages are situated on patches of clearings in the midst of dense forests. In each village there happens to be a Bijigudi or house of Cod. The tribes worship, 'Gudimata', the Mother Earth and also the earth whom they call Bhumu. During the festival they worship the Godlings with liquor and sacrifice an animal or bird.

Women's are celebrating Bija Pandu festival

The Bijapandu is the sacred seed from which the festival takes it name. During the festival the men go out hunting and fishing in groups and return home before dark. During the days the women keep on singing and dancing, waiting for their men to come. In the evenings they unite, feast, drink and dance together.

The Koyas have special variety of dance for the festival. Men wear huge headgears of bisson-horns which are richly decorated with peacock feathers and cowries. The drums are cylindrical and unusually long. Women wear brass-caps and hold sticks fitted with tinkling bells which they strike during the dance in between the beats. They dance in circles singing songs of love.