Nagaland's Ao Tribe Begins Tsungremong Celebrations

Kohima, August 1, 2019:

The Ao tribe have started celebrating the five-day Tsungremong festival from today onwards. The festival is usually celebrated during the first week of August. Tsungremong, named after the man who started the ritual, is a thanksgiving festival. It is also known as the 'festival of blessings'.

During the festival, tribals wear traditional garbs, sing traditional songs and perform their ritualistic dances to express their gratitude to god for giving a high yield. Interestingly, before the festival commences, the village gate is closed and non-villagers are restricted to enter the village.

According to the locals, the festivity is symbolic of a good harvest and members of Ao community gather to thank God for blessing them with a rich harvest.

The festival also provides opportunities for the budding generations and other villagers to display their skills and physical strength.

It is to be mentioned that as per custom, a round of tug of war between men and women is held during the festival and interestingly, men purposely lose to please the ladies.

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