32nd SYMP to begin on February 12

A CORRESPONDENT

DIGBOI, Jan 25: Expected to be a mega edition of the ethno-cultural festival of the Singpho community, the socio-ethno-cultural extravaganza, the 32nd Shapawng Yawng Mau Poi (SYMP) will begin on February 12 and will culmite on February 15.

The event will take place at the permanent Mau Shadung at Singpho Cultural & Heritage Centre Bordumsa in Changlang District of Aruchal Pradesh.

According to Jowtong Samon, foreign delegates secretary of the organizing committee the programme would showcase the rich and varied forms of Singpho delicacies including Sat Makai (Tupula bhat), Cha (local wine), bamboo shoots (Ping), Wa Shun Ping (bamboo shots prepared with pork) and several other traditiol edible prepared with special and flavoured herbs apart from the cultural extravaganzas.

Meanwhile, traditiol attires among the youth, young girls and across all age groups among the Singphos is fasciting and entire atmosphere being charged with merriment and fun, all dine together, dance together to exhibit their strong bond among them offering warm hospitability to the guest and visitors.

According to Singoho sources,the Shapawng Yawng Mau Poi festival also known as Mau poi is the 32 years old (as on 2016) tiol festival of the Kachins-a term for Singphos residing in Myanmar.

Shapawang Yawang is the forefather of the Singphos while the word poi denotes ‘festivals’ and Mau means ‘dance’. Thus, the Shapawng Yawng Mau Poi stands for Dance festival in honour of Shapawng Yawng which has been annually celebrated between February 12 to 15.

Talking to The Sentinel, Sindunong Singpho the president of the organizing committee told that the Singphos are the descendents of Shapawng Yawng who was first born on this earth and called himself as Singpho. Tingli Yawang, the son of Shapwng Yawng, in order to get blessings of his father Shapawng Yawng and the creator of the world “Mathum Matha” celebrated the first Mau poi as praising of Gods (Bhikan Gundan Poi). Later, the festival came to be known as “Shapawang Yawng Mau Poi” in the memory of their ancestor “Shapawng Tawng”.

According to Singphos, the underlying message of this festival in this way inspires the development of the society and state as a whole enhancing thus the bond of unity and fraternity among all irrespective of caste, creed, religion and community across the hilly state of Aruchal Pradesh thus, contributing to the overall prosperity of the state.