Bokakhat: Mising community welcomes spring with Ali-Ai-Ligang festival

A CORRESPONDENT

BOKAKHAT: Whether called mischievous Fagun, moody Fagun, dusty Fagun, or restless Fagun, the spring month arrives adorned with the hues of palash and shimul blossoms and the rustling of fallen leaves. The melodies of Oinitom and Gumrag fill the air, bringing life back to the earth. The first Wednesday of Fagun, marks the celebration of Ali-Ai-Ligang, the major agricultural festival of the Mising community in Assam.

Across various parts of the state, the festival was observed throughout the day in Mahuramukh under Bokakhat subdivision through a series of programs.

Following traditional customs, early in the morning, a small patch of land in the field or courtyard is prepared, and Ahu paddy seeds are ceremonially sown to mark the beginning of the agricultural season. Before sowing the seeds, prayers are offered to the revered deities of the Mising community — Donyi-Polo (Sun and Moon), Karsing-Kardang, and Runu-Prunu — seeking protection for the crops from pests and animals and praying for a bountiful harvest. A symbolic bamboo fence (Pir Re) is erected around the sown area to prevent animals from damaging the seeds.

After performing the traditional rituals at home, the community gathers at a common venue for the public celebration of Ligang. The village head (Migom), accompanied by rhythmic beats of drums and cymbals, is ceremonially welcomed from his home in traditional attire amid the lively Gumrag dance. Following the symbolic seed-sowing ceremony, the day is spent in dance and song. At the end of the celebration, the Migom is escorted back home with music and drumbeats.

The festival was celebrated with great enthusiasm in Mising-inhabited areas of Mahuramukh, including Ujani Bongkowal Natya Mandir, Namtemera, Sonali Chuk Shilikhaguri, Madhya Ofola, Chelami-Kemeri, Ruhita, Nikori, Borbali, Ujani Bartika, Namoni Bartika, Bongkowal Kolabari, Elengmari, Riri, Dhansiri, Gutung, Tikirai Chapori, Rangagoraghat, Boraikhua, and other villages of the region.

Young women, dressed in colorful Mising traditional attire (Mising Ege), danced gracefully to the rhythms of the drummers performing Gumrag, while the tunes of Oinitom filled the air, creating an atmosphere of joy throughout the region. Under the spring sky lit by fiery blossoms, the melodies of Gumrag and Oinitom resonated through the wind, spreading festivity and happiness everywhere.

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