[Prafulla Kaman]
OYAN, 15 Feb: The villagers of Oyan in East Siang district celebrated Ali-Aye-Ligang festival with traditional fervour at the Oiram Bori Memorial Cultural Ground here on Thursday.
The celebration started with paying of homage to the pioneer of Mising art and culture, Ba-bu Oiram Bori, by ZPM Bimol Lego and hoisting of the Ligang flag by Oyan HGB Jotin Bori.
This was followed by taku taabat (opening rituals) and prayer to Kiine Naane, the goddess of crops, for a bumper harvest and wellbeing of the domestic beasts.
Extending festival greetings to the community people, festival celebration committee chairman B Pao stressed on the need for preservation and promotion of the traditional customs of the Mishing tribe.
Attending the celebration, Adi-Mishing Baane Kebang secretary Okom Yosung stated that “the joint committee has been working to strengthen the Adi-Mishing relationship through festive celebration and cultural exchange,” while former union minister Omak Apang asked youths to work for the development of their languages and cultures.
A ‘mega dance’ presented by the Oyan Ane (women) group, exhibition of Mishing traditional attires and crafts, and Mising folk dances Gumrag and Lo:le presented by the village women were some of the special attractions of the celebration.
Ali-Aye-Ligang stands for ‘first sowing of seeds and roots of sali crop’. ‘Ali’ stands for sali crop, ‘Aye’ for fruits or seeds, and ‘Ligang’ for the beginning of sowing.
The five-day harvest festival begins on 15 February in Arunachal, while it is started on the first Wednesday of mid- February as per the Assamese calendar in Assam every year.
A cultural procession was also taken out along the national highway from Oyan village to Sille-Tero Mile to mark the occasion.
