Guwahati: The mising community of Assam celebrate Ali-Aye-Ligang festival on Wednesday with traditional fervor.
Ali-Aye-Ligang is a spring festival associated with agriculture, specially with the beginning of the Ahu paddy cultivation. The festival is observed on the Wednesday of ‘Fagun’ in the Assamese calendar.
The festival marks the onset of sowing seeds. The name Ali Aye Ligang is quite meaningful. “Ali” means root and seed, “Aye” means fruit and “Ligang” means to sow.
The young people of the community in this festival, particular participate in ‘Gumraag Soman’ and dance to the tune of folk songs and melodies. They groove to the melodious ‘oi: nitom’ and folk songs.
People treat oneself in sowing padding as a ceremony. Moreover, activities such as plowing, burning jungles, cutting trees, and fishing are prohibited.
Also, included the food festival like ‘Poro Aapong’ or rice veer, dried fish, and pork is a must. Specially the Mising people prepare ‘Purang Apin’ (packed boild rice) only for the festival.
Lilen is the festival’s last day, which is celebrated with a lavish community banquet.
A local holiday has been announced in Lakhimpur district on the occasion of Ali-Aye-Ligang.
Meanwhile, Himanta Biswa Sarma Assam chief minister has wished the people of Mising community on the occasion. Taking to Twitter, the chief minister wrote that he hoped the festival would bring peace and prosperity to everyone’s lives.