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Introduction
Harvest has always had a special significance and provided people with reason to celebrate in our agro based country. Harvest festivals in various hues and colors are celebrated all over the country among people of every religion, every sect, and every caste. The Pochury Tribe of Nagaland is no exception. The Yemshe Festival is the most colorful and vibrant of all harvest festivals celebrated among the Pochuries. Yemshe is celebrated every year before harvest, after the toil of a year. Before the festiovities come to an end, no one is allowed to begin harvesting.
Time
The Yemshe Festival is celebrated on the 5th of October, just before harvest season. Earlier, the festival used to commence in the last week of September and ended in the first week of October. Now it is observed only on the 5th, in keeping with what was once the concluding ceremony of the festival.
Activities during Big Yemshe
The Yemshe festivities begin with the village youth cleaning the village streets, footpaths, wells, fields and construct basket making cum resting places.
The ritual is performed around the pole at the front of each house and the necessary objects for the rituals are fastened around this pole. The heads of the families perform the rituals.
The Yemshe is particularly significant among young engaged couples. Its time for them to celebrate with wine and food. Quite a few young men and women also get engaged during Yemshe Festival.
Small Yemshe
Small Yemshe constitutes of the sanctification of a house followed by a feast thrown by a rich family. The host family provides wine for the entire village and hosts a dance party where people of all age groups participate.
The wine is drunk in specially made bamboo mugs which are collected from every family and kept with the host family for the drinking ceremony.
The only food served is paddy and not maize or millet. The rice is cooked and distributed among the families in the village.
All the clansmen will take one Mithun and a Chicken to a river on the way to the Jhum field and feast. The feast takes place in a Resting Shed constructed there for the host of the Sanctification Feast. It is believed that in the second life, those who have not hosted the Sanctification Feast can not sigh with a deep breath as 'ewhi', but can only say 'Korowhi' and those who have not performed the Resting Shed Feast they can only say 'owhi'.
For reserving of frogs, one axe each for three rivers is given to the villagers as frogs in these three rivers are reserved. This is followed by giving out a big feast to all the village elders and followed by an announcement in the village that the frogs are reserved by the host of Sanctification or Yemshe Festival and no other should go to these rivers to catch it.
Thereafter all the clansmen will carry well-prepared food and wine and go to the reserved rivers and make bridges/ladders so the frog catchers could go to any part of the river. While the frog catching goes on, the villagers eat drink and celebrate among themselves. This is one of the many games they play.
A chicken will be kept in a cage on a selected tree on the way to the field. After that a selected group will go to that spot with dried frogs where chickens were kept and have a feast there. It is mandatory for every household to perform this ritual. The poorer families could use roasted brinjal as substitute to chicken and frogs.
It is traditionally believed that the most fertile lands were under the control of devils. Sacrificial are therefore performed to preserve and enhance the fertility of the land. For the most fertile land a Mithun has to be sacrificed, a pig for the less fertile land a chicken has to be sacrificed in the field. Two big gourds of wine will be carried, one for halfway and the other for sacrificial consumption. While returning from their fields the Mithun group will not mix up with the pig or chicken group. Likewise, wine also will be taken separately.
After all the arrangements like collection of green vegetables, meat etc. and performances of rituals are completed, the master will select 6 supervisors; two for washing ginger, four to supervise the butchers for preparation of the feast for the whole village. All young and old will come and help the host in preparation of the feast. In this feast, Mithun, Pigs and Chicken will be slaughtered. If there is no Mithun three pigs will substitute a Mithun. Womenfolk will pound rice and cook while the menfolk will be busy for meat, and other difficult jobs. By sundown, all villagers, from youngest to the oldest will come together to attend the great feast.
Few quantities of all sorts of food stuff and rice grains etc. shall be shared and offered to the dead souls as farewell gifts and greetings of the Yemshe Feast.
The last day of the feast is observed as the feast cleansing day. At this day all remain at home not venture outside their homes. With the conclusion of Yemshe, the harvest activities begin with blessings from god.
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