Mizoram’s Chapchar Kut Festival to begin on March 9

Mizoram’s week-long Chapchar Kut, one of the state’s biggest and most vibrant festivals, will begin on March 9, officials said on Tuesday, January 20. 

The decision was taken at a meeting of the spring festivals organising committee chaired by Chief Minister Lalduhoma.

The celebrations will commence with ‘Kut Rur’ on March 9. As in previous years, the Central Young Mizo Association (CYMA) will prepare T-shirts for participants. On March 10, exhibitions of handicrafts, handloom textiles and traditional artefacts will be organised, along with a food court showcasing local cuisine. A flower show is also scheduled to be held on the same day.

Several cultural events have been lined up as part of the festival. Painting and photo exhibitions, along with a film screening, will be organised on March 11 at two venues in Aizawl—Vanapa Hall and the Information and Public Relations Department’s Lianchhiari Run (Hall). In addition, a living museum will be set up at Zokhua in Falkawn village, about 15 km from Aizawl, on March 11 and 12.

Officials said the grand Chapchar Kut celebration will be held at Lammual ground in Aizawl on March 13. Chief Minister Lalduhoma will attend the event as the ‘Kut Pa’, or father of the festival, while Art and Culture Minister C Lalsawivunga will be the ‘Kut Thlengtu’, or host of the celebrations.

The upcoming Chapchar Kut will also mark a significant change, as the traditional practice of erecting a bamboo barricade at the venue to restrict entry will not be followed this year, officials said.

The organising committee has selected “Mizo Code of Ethics: Peace” as the theme of the festival. The Chief Minister’s Trophy, carrying a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh along with a citation and memento, will be presented during the celebrations.

Chapchar Kut will also be celebrated in other parts of the state. The festival marks the completion of the most arduous phase of jhum cultivation, when farmers finish clearing forests and await the sowing season. Historians trace the origin of Chapchar Kut to about 500 years ago in a village called Suhpi in present-day Myanmar. Although the festival was discouraged during the early missionary period in Mizoram in the late 19th century, it was revived in 1973 on a mass scale as an intrinsic part of Mizo cultural identity.

Officials said Chapchar Kut continues to attract visitors from across India and abroad, reinforcing its status as a major cultural and tourism event in Mizoram.