(By Staff Reporters Henlly Phom and Paudi Rentta)
One of the most important festivals of the Sumi Naga community,
the Tuluni festival, was celebrated on Wednesday, July 8, in Lhothavi village in
Dimapur with traditional pomp and cultural exuberance, and a call for community
-building with other communities.
Tuluni is traditionally regarded as a time of plentiful, and celebrates a fruitful season of the year. Lhothavi village is organizing the festival for the first time, and during the event, the community ensured that the hopes for communal harmony for the Sumi community remained true to the core significance of the festival.
Personal Secretary to the parliamentary secretary for Horticulture, H Zungkum Chang, graced the Tuluni festival of Lhothavi village as chief guest. Leaders of the Naga Students’ Federation also made their presence felt during the grand celebration.
Greeting the Sumi community on the day, H Zungkum Chang acknowledged the festival to be one of the biggest Naga festivals marking the community building and fellowship of fellowmen. He emphasized on upholding the spirit of the festival and called upon the community to foster friendship and good relations with their neighbors.
Referring to the Naga communities as a village-based society, Chang reminded that the identity of the village is crucial as this it is a dominant factor to building a well-knit society which in turn, he said, ‘becomes our identity at the end of the day’. ‘If we do not maintain relation with our neighboring villages, it is of no worth, as to constitute a society one needs a helping hand and this is the day to maintain relation’, the personal secretary said.
Leaders of the Naga Students’ Federation also addressed the gathering. The Naga society is losing its tradition with western influence spreading, NSF’s president Subenthung Kithan told the gathering. While extending greetings to the Sumi community, the students’ chief emphasized that Naga traditions ought not to be forgotten. Kithan called upon the youn Sumi to learn the arts and traditions of the Naga community and keep their traditions alive and uplift the core values of being a Naga.
The festival organized first time by the Lhothavi village was celebrated with commitment where not only Members of the Sumi community, well wishers from other Naga tribes, and non-local communities, and Lhothavi’s neighbors joined in the celebrations, denoting the significance of Tuluni itself.
The festival was marked by traditional competitions in music, fire-making, cultural games, and a tug of war.
Ghonivi Village
Former councilor of Dimapur Municipal Council, Pukhavi
Yepthomi, has appealed to the community to uphold traditional values and of
unity in the village and to foster the spirit of brotherhood with other Naga
tribes. According to him, the stated values were the very essence of Tulini.
Addressing the Tuluni festival celebrations in Ghonivi village under Kaghaboto area in Niuland sub-division Wednesday morning, Yepthomi reminded the gathering about the joyous occasion of Tuluni as practiced by forefathers in the days of yore. Those days, he said, the festival was observed for forgiveness and sharing and to strengthen relations among the people.
Yepthomi called upon the villagers to emulate the gesture of their forefathers in maintaining unity in the village as well to foster the spirit of brotherhood and understanding with other villages and tribal communities.
In his advice to the village folks, Pukhavi Yepthomi said unity and cooperation can ‘usher in all-round advancement and growth’. It could be spiritual, economic, or cultural, he said and called for support for dependable and sincere leaders, he said.
Pukhavi, who was accompanied by his wife, also encouraged the villagers to preserve the rich cultural heritage of the Sumi.
The Tuluni celebrations in Ghonivi village were organized by the women department of Ghonivi Baptist Church. All the villagers, the young and the old, celebrated the event attired in traditional finery.
A grand Tuluni feast and a raffle draw, and presentation of cultural items were some other highlights of the day.
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