Governor JB Patnaik will be the chief guest on the occasion, said Khup Changsan, spoke-person of the festival committee, at a press conference held at the conference hall of the Haflong Circuit House on Friday. All office-bearers of the Chavang Kut Silver Jubilee Celebration Committee were also present.
Chavang Kut is a post-harvest festival which is one of the largest and most popular festivals of the Kukis. It is part of the cultural heritage of the community, celebrated once every year by the young and old, rich and poor. Apart from Chavang Kut, the Kukis have Mim Kut, Pawl Kut and Chang Kut. The celebration of Chavang Kut by the Kukis symbolises their cultural unity and their common identity as a people with the same history and origin. It is celebrated when farmers finish harvesting their crops, especially paddy (chang).
The festival is the time for praying, feasting, singing, dancing and taking part in sporting activities. It has been a part and parcel of the traditional life of the Chin-Kuki Mizo people as it gives an occasion to the people, who are mostly farmers, to be happy after months of toiling. The granaries are filled up, heralding the arrival of the well-deserved period for leisure and festivities.
Keeping pace with the changing times, this year’s silver jubilee edition of Chavang Kut in Dima Hasao district has chosen the theme of ‘Resurgence through unity’ to underline the desire to hold fast to the values and ideals of the forefathers, build a strong and prosperous society and promote communal peace and harmony among all sections of the society. One of the striking features of the celebration will be the perfect blend of tradition and modernity. Contrary to misconceptions, Christianity has not led to any decline in the Kuki culture and traditions. It has only helped in its refinement, some members of the community stressed.
At the district-level Chavang Kut silver jubilee celebration at Songpijang, dignitaries from different parts of the country are expected to be present. The main attraction of the two-day festival will be cultural shows on the night of October 31 and November 1, a Miss Kut contest, traditional and western fusion music, rock shows, traditional fashion parade, traditional games and sports events, etc., with the theme of strengthening cultural values and communal harmony. A souvenir commemorating the event will also be published.