Purul village celebrated Paoki festival with Vekhosayi Nyekha, Advisor Tenyimi Union Dimapur, as the chief guest.
Share
Dimapur, May 16
(EMN): Purul
(Hiimai), a Poumai village in Senapati district, Manipur, celebrated Paoki
festival from May 14 to the 16th with Vekhosayi Nyekha, Advisor
Tenyimi Union Dimapur, as the chief guest.
Paoki is a paddy transplantation festival celebrated by Poumai Naga villages, marking the commencement of paddy transplantation for the new farming season. It’s a three-day event starting with arrival of guests on day one, followed by uprooting of paddy saplings and transplantation on the third and main day. Guests are treated with free food, drinks, and shelter.
People engaging in paddy transplantation on the occasion of Paoki Festival in Purul on Friday.
One of the main attractions of the festival is the
age-old tradition of open wrestling, wherein the host villagers take on young
and capable men from various villages in the wrestling ring till the last man
standing. It’s more of a display of agility, camaraderie and sportsmanship than
to win prizes, which was introduced only recently.
Wrestlers seen in the ring on the second day of
Paoki Festival in Purul.
Speaking at Purul Paoki, Vekhosayi Nyekha expressed
happiness over the age-old tradition still being practised in the region.
While acknowledging the Purul Youth and Students’ Organisation (PYSO) for organising the event, he urged the youngsters to preserve the rich traditions, saying that the festival should not be just a celebration but be made a practice for the generations to know the work culture.
Lamenting that there are too many leaders with few followers, which has led to the birth of many factions not only in regard to the Naga national issue but even in other levels, he appealed to the younger generations to truly understand the meaning of unity and promote it.
Having witnessed different festivals of the Poumais,
the traditions of the Chakhesang in Nagaland and the Poumai are all similar, he
said while urging to maintain the bond of relationship.
He also prayed that God bless the villagers with a
bountiful harvest.
Vekhosayi Nyekha, Advisor Tenyimi Union, Dimapur,
(Left standing) with PYSO president R L Nada Redeem during Paoki Festival in
Purul.
Earlier during the programme, R L Nada Redeem,
President of the Purul Youth and Students Organisation (PYSO), in his welcome
address, said Paoki celebrates the spirit of agriculture, community strength
and the rich cultural heritage.
Through sustainable farming, people of the region
strive for a bountiful harvest, he said, expressing hope that the festival
foster unity, joy and a deeper connection with the age-old tradition.
It may be mentioned that Purul Paoki has been sponsored
by the Tourism department, Government of Manipur, ever since it was recognised
as a Tourism Festival by the state government in 2017.
Related stories