Ahuna concludes at Pughoboto with cultural and musical events

DIMAPUR — The Ahuna festival, held on the theme “Bound by history, bridging generations”, at Pughoboto town, concluded on Saturday.

Organised by the Sümi Hoho and hosted by the Sümi Aphyumeyi frontal organisations, the two-day celebration featured traditional rituals, cultural presentations, and a musical evening—the Ahuna Music Concert. Curated by the Sümi Music Forum, the concert showcased a range of local talent.

According to a press release, speaking as the special invitee at the concert, Tesinlo Semy, president of the Rengma Hoho, highlighted the longstanding bond of friendship and shared heritage between the Sumi and Rengma communities.

He said the Ahuna festival serves as a reminder that “gratitude and unity are at the heart of our traditions”.

Semy traced the historical ties between the two tribes, noting that the Sumi and Rengma once lived together in ancient settlements such as Khwenphen and Chewenyuphen. He shared that many clans from both communities originated from these early settlements and that similarities in customs, attire, and songs reflect their common ancestral roots.

He recalled oral traditions that trace Naga origins from Mongolia through China and Burma (now Myanmar) before dispersing from Makhel and Kezakenoma, forming the present-day Naga tribes. He added that history records the Rengma, Sumi, and Lotha people living together around the 7th century in Khwenphen, located between Kashanyu and Mishilimi, emphasising that he himself hails from Kashanyu, the nearest Rengma neighbour to the Sumi region.

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Semy narrated an early 20th-century story of cultural harmony, when Sumi families led by Keyazü visited Kashanyu village. Welcomed by Rengma leaders, the Sumi settlers were later invited to live within the Rengma Reserved Forest in a gesture of trust and brotherhood. As a mark of gratitude, Keyazü presented the Rengma village chief with a warrior’s sash and spear. The visit concluded with a night of songs, dances, and celebration, symbolising unity between the two tribes.

Drawing parallels between the Sumi Ahuna and the Rengma Ngada festivals, he said both celebrations share the same essence of thanksgiving, prosperity, and communal harmony. Though celebrated separately today, he noted that these festivals reflect a time when both communities rejoiced together after the harvest.

Semy described the musical concert as a continuation of that shared spirit. “Music lifts our hearts, heals divisions, and brings people together,” he said, urging both tribes to preserve the bond of love, respect, and shared heritage for future generations.

Rev. Hojevi Kappo, music secretary of Western Sümi Baptist Akukuhou Küqhakulu, delivered an address at the concert, saying that his calling to music comes from God and that artistic recognition brings responsibility.