Essentially a straw harvest festival of 3 days, Pawl Kut is all about celebrating nature. The word Pawl means Straw thus, the very name of it suggests to be a festival dedicated to straw harvesting.
There is even a story behind the celebration of the Pawl Kut festival in India. According to the story, it is believed that there was a great famine around 1450 AD which continued for three centuries till 1700 AD. And in those three hundred years, there was no major crop production which led to extreme poverty. But soon after that, there was a bumper crop production courtesy of a good rainfall which changed the entire scenario for one and all.
People took it as a sign of omen and blessing of Rain God and started celebrating Pawl Kut as a thanksgiving festival. Since then the local people started celebrating it in honor of the deities who acknowledged their requests and showered them with rainfall when they needed it the most.
Major Attractions of Pawl Kut Festival 2024
1. The Ritual of Chawnghnawt
The festival of Pawl Kut in Mizoram is all about new beginnings and celebrating the bounties of nature. During the festival, it is customary for everyone to eat meat and eggs. Even the poorest of the people would kill at least a fowl for their household to eat and relish upon.
A ritual called Chawnghnawt is also performed as per which, the mother and her children sit on a monumental platform, and the mother feeds her children with eggs and meat after which, the children do the same for their mother. The main purpose of this ritual is to cherish family love and bonding.
2. Traditional Celebrations During Pawl Kut
Fun activities, dancing events, and singing events are organized by the locals in which both men and women participate with great zeal. The day ahead of the festivities is used just for the preparation.
Every male member of the family goes hunting in order to collect the meat. During the occasion, people also donate food among the poor which is one of the customs of this festival.
How to Reach Pawl Kut Festival 2024?
Aizawl in Mizoram is quite an interesting travel getaway to explore. From Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bengaluru you will need to cover an approximate distance of around 2,360, 3,198, 1,472, and 3,337 respectively. You can reach here via the following routes.
By Air
The best option to reach Aizawl by air is to take a flight to Aizawl Lengui Airport (AJL). It is a must-know fact that this airport was constructed in a record time of 2 years and 2 months in 1998. It has good connectivity with other places like Kolkata, Guwahati, and Imphal.
Various airlines like Go Air, Air India operate to and fro Aizawl on a regular basis. From the city center, the airport is located at an approximate distance of 32 km. So, after you deboard at the airport, you will need to cover the remaining distance via a cab or a bus.
Here is a list of Indian cities from where flights are available to Aizawl
By Road
Traveling to Aizawl via road can also be considered. Here are the routes you can opt for from different cities.
- From Agartala - 314 km via NH8 and NH108
- From Shillong - 362 km via NH6
- From Siliguri - 915 km via NH6.
Apart from traveling by your own vehicle, you can also consider traveling via interstate buses to reach Aizwal.
By Train
The nearest train station to reach Aizawl is the Silchar Railway Station. It is located at a distance of around 173 km. This particular railway station falls under the administration of the Northeast Frontier Railway Zone and has three stations. Trains operate to and fro many Indian cities to Silchar like Guwahati, Patna, and more.
From Guwahati, you will need to board Aronai Express via Guwahati Railway Station and from Patna, you will need to board NDLS SCL PSK Express via Patliputra station.
After you deboard at the Silchar Railway Station, you would require to cover the remaining distance via some means of public transportation like a cab or a bus to reach your respective destination.
You can plan your trip and create your own route to the city with Adotrip’s technically driven circuit planner. Click here.
