| Ali Ai Ligang | |
|---|---|
 Mising girls dancing during Ali Aye Ligang | |
| Begins | First Wednesday of February |
| Frequency | Annually |
| Location(s) | Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, India |
| Attendance | Ali - Aye - Ligang |
| Organised by | Mising people |
Ali-Aye-Ligang or Ali-Ai-Ligang a spring festivity associated with agriculture celebrated by the Mising or Mishing tribal people of Assam and other Northeast Indian states on the occasion of the beginning of the Ahu paddy cultivation. [1] The festival marks onset of sowing seeds.
The name of the festival is made up of three terms: "Ali" - legumes, "Aye" - seed, and "Ligang" - to sow. Meaning the season 'To sow legumes seeds'. [2] [3]
The festival begins on "Ligange lange", the first Wednesday of "Gimur Polo", which occurs in February in the Gregorian calendar [4] [5] or on Wednesday of the month of Fagun of the Assamese calendar and in the month of February in English calendar which lasts for five days. Its 2016 date was 2 February. [6]
In this festival young people of the community in particular participate "Gumraag Soman" and dance to the tune of folk songs and melodious "oi: nitom". The first day of the festival is marked by the ceremonial start of paddy sowing and throughout the festival many others activities such as ploughing and tree cutting are forbidden. [7]
The last day of festival called as "Lilen" is observed with a grand community feast. During this festival, Misings indulge in great banquet with Poro Apong or Nogin Apong (homemade Rice wine) with various dishes, especially made with pork meat. "Purang Apin" (packed boiled rice) is cooked in water with special leaves. This is a special dish prepared by Misings which is cooked only during Ali Aye Ligang.
The songs of Ali-Aye-Ligang do not remain restricted to the songs of youth alone. The subjects and themes of the songs are varied. They include the life of a man, his sufferings in this life and his death. Apart from them, the songs describe the matters of individual love and affection including joy and pain. Mainly the songs of the festival speak of the various experiences of the Misings in their day-to-day life. The Music composed for these festivals consists of instruments like the dhul, taal, gong and gungang (gagana). [8]
In this festival a popular dance is performed by the young Mising people which is known as "Gumrag". The formal dance of the festival starts from the easternmost house of the village. In the end, extending towards the field and the river. This dance is performed by encircling the courtyard of the house of the villagers.
Assam is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of 78,438 km2 (30,285 sq mi). It is the second largest state in northeastern India by area and the largest in terms of population, with more than 31 million inhabitants. The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur to the east; Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram and Bangladesh to the south; and West Bengal to the west via the Siliguri Corridor, a 22-kilometre-wide (14 mi) strip of land that connects the state to the rest of India. Assamese and Boro for Bodoland Territorial Region are the official languages of Assam. Meitei (Manipuri) is recognised as an additional official language in Hojai district and for the Barak Valley region, alongside Bengali, which is also an official language in the Barak Valley.
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The Bihu dance is an indigenous folk dance from the Indian state of Assam related to the Bihu festival and an important part of Assamese culture. Performed in a group, the Bihu dancers are usually young men and women, and the dancing style is characterized by brisk steps and rapid hand movements. The traditional costume of dancers is centered around the red color theme, signifying joy and vigour.
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The culture of Assam is traditionally a hybrid one, developed due to cultural assimilation of different ethno-cultural groups under various political-economic systems in different periods of its history.
Bohag Bihu or Rongali Bihu also called Xaat Bihu is a traditional ethnic festival celebrated in the Northeastern Indian state of Assam and other parts of Northeastern India by the indigenous ethnic groups of Assam, and marks the beginning of the Assamese New Year. The festival is of mostly aboriginal origin comprising Tibeto-Burman and Tai elements. It usually falls in the 2nd week of April, historically signifying the time of harvest. Every year it falls on the 14th day of April. The holiday unites the different native communities of Assam regardless of their backgrounds and promotes the celebration of ethnic diversity.
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Kulajan Tiniali is a town in Dhemaji district in the Indian state of Assam. The town is situated on the northern bank of the Brahmaputra River, and is located approximately 493 kilometres from the city of Guwahati and just 13 km from Arunachal Pradesh. National Highway 15B starts at Kulajan and connects it to Dibrugarh.
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Here is a list of glossary of culture of India in alphabetical order:
Barechahariya Bhaona is a 200-year-old drama festival held every 5–6 years at Jamugurihat, a small town in Sonitpur District, Assam. The festival was first held in 1797-98. Led by Gayan Bora and sounds of Doba, Kanh, Bhortal and Khol resonates amidst the audience to signal the start of the Barechaharia Bhaowna. This tradition that dates back two centuries, livens up the small town of Jamugurihat.
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