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Siami is the harvesting festival observed by the Zemi Nagas
of the North Cachar hills. It is in fact a festival organised by the
members of the boys and girls Morungs of the village.
The Celebration
Like the Bihu festival observed by the neighbouring Dimasa Kacharis, in
this festival also the youths are required to get themselves prepared for
the observance of this festival much ahead of the actual celebration.
Holding the grand feasts with the meats of hunted animals and birds with
rice-beer, dancing and singing are the main components of the festival.
The earnings of the Morungs by doing physical labour are spent in this
festival.
Some Traditional Rituals
This
festival continues generally for four days. Brewing of rice beer in large
quantities in the name of each of the family members of a family and
drinking it in the bowls made from plaintain leaves on the first day,
feast for the villagers in the Morungs for three days and three nights,
presents of self-woven cloths to the boys by the girls, singing and
dancing continuously through out the days and nights by the members of the
boys and girls of the Morungs are some of the special features of the
festival.
An Interesting Feature
Another interesting episode of this festival is the competition among the
boys and girls of the Morungs to recapitulate the names of plants, trees,
flowers, creepers, orchids, medicinal plants, etc. and this is perhaps the
most educative aspect of this festival.