Nagaland's Kezoma village to host first-ever Ochü Millet Festival

Kezoma village, in Nagaland's Kohima district is set to host the first edition of the Ochü Millet Festival on August 30, at the village ground.

The festival is being jointly organised by the Kezoma Village Council in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Tourism, Government of Nagaland.

Y. Vikheho Swu, President of NDPP Agri & Allied Organization and Managing Director of Okusa Toyota, will grace the occasion as the special guest.

The event will showcase millets and other organic vegetables produced by the villagers. The millet available at the festival was harvested earlier in July this year, and will be put on sale alongside various activities planned for the day.

Millet holds deep cultural significance for the people of Kezoma. Traditionally, the crop’s harvest is celebrated through the Chünyi festival, during which villagers offer the first yield to the spirits in reverence. Chünyi is a two-day event—the first day, Kide (Kizie), is marked by rituals, while the second, Kreuo zha, is observed as a day of rest and celebration.

The festival also carries agricultural importance. It is believed to usher in rainfall for paddy cultivation, and in the past, even neighbouring villages would request Kezoma to perform Chünyi prayers to invoke rain.

During Chünyi, each household traditionally slaughtered a dog or piglet, sharing the meat as a way to replenish strength after the harvest. While many of these rituals are no longer practiced today, the spirit of the celebration endures.

The introduction of the Ochü Millet Festival, organisers said, is aimed at reviving and preserving this age-old tradition, while also promoting millet as a nutritious, sustainable crop and passing the cultural heritage to younger generations.