Agalmaka, a Garo festival will be held at the new Wangala Festival permanent site, Chibagre, on Tuesday, organized by the 100 Drums Wangala Festival Committee.
“Agalmaka is a ritual to optimize the soil fertility and to protect future crops through offerings,” Chairman of the committee, Ronald Rikman Sangma informed. “It is celebrated every year in the month of March in the new field called A’dal (new land for cultivation). Right after the burning of debris for cultivation, a ritual of purification of the new farm is performed.”
The Nokma calls up the God “Misi Saljong” and “Mima Kiri Rokkime” to bless the whole village. Agalmaka literally means “the ritual on the ground covered with ashes”. The first instance is “Asiroka” also known as “Rokmaranga” i.e., invoking the blight in the jhum field, where an altar is erected and an egg and a cockerel is sacrificed. Fresh seeds from chilli and millet are sown just after “Asiroka”.
The second event will be “Rokkime Ringgama” (calling on the Mother of Rice, “Rokkime”) and here a special alter is erected for this purpose where the “Kamal” (priest) recites it to duly welcome the “Mother of Rice” to come up and bless the crop in the new jhum field.
He also informed that the Agalmaka festival will start at 7:30 am and Asiroka and Rokkime Ringgama will begin at 8 am.
