| Mlokom Yulo - Bangni Festival
This is one of the major festivals of Bangnis. It is the only festival
which is celebrated annually in every village on a community basis in
the Bangini months of Lakhang & Leehar corresponding to the English
month of March & April.The festival is celebrated for five days,
but occasionally the period may extend to seven days depending on the
result of divination performed prior to the fixation of the date of celebration.
The divination is done by a local priest (Nibu) by examining the liver
of a foul and the yolk of an egg respectively. The site where the festival
is celebrated is called 'MLKOM-YULO-NYENGENG'. They do not have a permanent
festival place. On the previous day of the festival, the villagers keep
themselves busy in collecting rice beer, rice making rice powder, egg
and silk cloth. Sacrificial animals such as mithun, cow, pig, goat and
fowl are usually purchased either from their common village fund or by
collecting money or paddy from each house hold.
The festival is started with a worship in the name of
god-Doni-Yulo where rice beer, rice powder and white cock are offered.
Another God called Kamio-Yulo is also worshipped in the same place by
offering only rice beer. When the prayers are over, the white cock is
brought down to examine its liver with a view to knowing the omen of the
festival. Different worships are performed on different days in the name
of different gods and goddess by offering and sacrificing different animals
in accordance with the result of divination. At the end of the festival,
the villagers observe taboo for five days during which period they do
not go out of the village. The observance of taboo is known as MLKOM-Arina.
The people of all areas both local and other including tribals and non
tribals irrespective of caste clan and creed uniformly participate in
the Mlokom Julo festival. |
