Amongmong Festival

September 2023

Tribal

Kohima, Nagaland

20°C / Clouds

Being a significant event of the Sangam Tribe, the Amongmong festival is celebrated with a lot of pomp and show in Nagaland. It is basically a celebration before the harvest season which is an important time of the year.

The festival is a joyous one which is celebrated for straight 6 days and each day has a different story to tell. People of the tribe worship their deities and place cooking stones near the fireplace in order to seek blessings. It is usually observed in the month of September, mostly in the first week.

There is also an interesting fact about the festival. During the first three days of the Amongmong festival, tribe people are not allowed to go to the outfields. It is believed that if one does so, they become the harbingers of natural calamities.

One of the prominent tribes, the Sangtam tribe, holds a belief that God will bring them good health and a rich harvest if they are well-pleased by the devotees.

Major Attractions of Amongmong Festival

Singkitshaa (1st Day)

On the very first day, people get involved in the purchase of animals, such as pigs, cows, etc.

2nd Day

All the animals purchased on the first day are sacrificed today. A portion of the meat is used for the feast. The rest of the portion is divided into two groups, called Athiru and Akhingru.

Musuyangtap (3rd Day)

The third day is when the oldest woman of the tribe worships three oven stones which are considered to be Lord Lijaba’s representation. The ritual goes along as follows: the old lady first puts rice balls on these stones. Then she pours wine over them. For the rest of the day, villagers indulge in feasting, drinking, dancing, and merrymaking.

Kikha-Langpi (4th Day)

On the fourth day, the tribe’s male members clean the pathways and the village overall. The idea behind doing this is to bring prosperity. Later on, there is a feast held for them in the house of the priest. However, these men have to arrange for their meat and drink on their own. The married women of the tribe place ginger and chilly in green leaves and keep them in the fields for warding off the evil and protecting the crops.

Shilang Wuba Nyunong (5th Day)

On this day, people visit their friends’ houses and share their drinks and foods with one another. They also gift meat to one another.

Akatisingkithsa (6th Day)

On the last day, people worship their deities. They also harvest their crops.

How to Reach

The second-largest city in the state, Kohima is known for its picturesque scenery. It is located at an approximate distance of 2,238, 3,310, 3,083, and 1,364 km from Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Kolkata respectively. Here’s how you can get there.

By Air

Dimapur airport is the nearest airport to the Amongmong festival location. This airport was built during World War II. It is also the only civil gateway to the state of Nagaland. It frequently operates flights of Air India, Alliance Air, and IndiGo.

Delhi - Board Air India, IndiGo, Vistara, Spicejet flights from Indira Gandhi International Airport. The airfares start from Rs.18,000
Mumbai - Board Air India, Go Air, Spicejet from Mumbai Airport. The airfares start from Rs.17,000
Kolkata - Board Spicejet, Air India, Go Air flights from Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport. The airfares start from Rs.15,000
Chennai - Board Spicejet, Air India, IndiGo from Madurai airport. The airfares start from Rs.25,000

By Train

Dimapur railway station is the closest railway station to the city of Kohima which is about 74 km from there. There are regular trains from Dimapur to Guwahati and Kolkata which makes it easy for people to connect to the city from any other part of the country. People can easily hire taxis from Dimapur directly to Kohima to witness the aura of the festival.

Here is how you can reach there by the train network.

Delhi - Board DBRT Rajdhani from New Delhi Railway Station and deboard at the Dimapur Station
Kolkata - Board Kamrup Express from Howrah Junction and deboard at the Dimapur Station
Chennai - Board Anantapuri Express from Chennai Egmore and deboard at the Dimapur Station

By Road

If you happen to live near Kohima, the road route is a very well-suited option for you. Depending upon the budget, you can choose between the luxury, regular, and sleeper coach buses.