The Shillong unit of the Tedim Chin Students’ Association (TCSA) celebrated the Khawdo Pawi – Harvesting Festival – at Chin Baptist Association multi-purpose hall here on Saturday.
The attraction of the celebration was the show-casing of the rich traditional attire of the Tedim Chin, Khawkhai Laam – traditional dance, ‘Pawi Pa’ – the most honoured man of the celebration and ‘Vaimim Ciim’, traditional corn soup etc.
While addressing the gathering the Pawi Pa – Pu TS Mangpu, Honorary Subedar Major, Assam Regiment, highlighted the history and the importance of the Khuado pawi to the cognate tribes of the Zomis.
He reiterated that the harvesting festival is a token of thanksgiving to nature prior to the coming of Christianity in Zomi society.
However, the style of celebration has changed significantly after the introduction of Christianity. This festival is now a thanksgiving ceremony to God Almighty for his bountiful blessings through the successful harvesting done by the farmers. He further said that Khua has reference to light and Do means fighting the evil spirits and Pawi means feast/festival. Hence, Khawdo Pawi simply means a festival against the evil spirit over the bountiful harvesting. The term can be interpreted in many ways, he added.
During his speech, the chief guest Pum Khan Pau, Associate Professor, Department of History, Manipur University, reiterated the importance of culture in human society worldwide. We are not born into culture but we live and are influenced by culture in the society wherever we are living, he said. The youths should pay attention to their traditional customary laws and practices, norms and values, otherwise, unknowingly assimilation of culture with the bigger community where we live may be a threat to our one society, he added.
An exhortation and prayers for the freshers, the students and all the gatherings were conducted by pastor Khup Lian Mang followed by a community feast with Vaimim Ciim.
Since time immemorial the Khawdo Pawi has been celebrated by the Zo cognate tribes/communities comprising of the Zomis, Mizos, Kukis, Tedim Chin, Paite, Vaiphei, Simte, Gangte, Thangkhal, Zou, etc during the month of October and November, soon after the harvesting season is over. This harvesting festival is one of the most important festivals among Zo cognates tribes worldwide.
Prior to the advent of the Christian missionaries Khuado Pawi festivals were celebrated with grandeur. During the festival, the most important animals of the Zo cognates tribes called Sial (mithun) were slaughtered and Zu (local brew) were served to all the villagers who took part in the festival. Drinking and merrymaking was traditional at this festival.
However, after the advent of Christianity, the old traditional style of celebration has no longer been practised. The Khawdo Pawi is known by different names in different places and locations – the Mizo tribes and the Kukis call the festival Kut and Chavang Kut respectively, whereas the cognate tribes of the Zomis know it as Khawdo Pawi.
