Culture and Tradition

Festival

Domaahi

Domaahi is a traditional Karbi festival celebrated to honor and worship the goddess of water, known as Domahi Ronghang. The festival is usually observed during the rainy season when water is abundant. It’s a time when the Karbis offer prayers and perform rituals to appease the water deity, seeking her blessings for rainfall, fertility, and prosperity. Domaahi is also an occasion for community gatherings, cultural performances, and feasting.

Mono Ke-En

Mono Ke-En is a ritualistic practice among the Karbi tribe that involves the worship of ancestors and deceased family members. The Karbis believe in the spiritual presence of their ancestors, and Mono Ke-En is a way to honor and pay respects to them. During this ritual, offerings such as food, rice beer, and symbolic items are made to the ancestors’ spirits, seeking their blessings and guidance for the well-being of the family

Chojun This festival marks the beginning of the agricultural season. It's a time when the Karbis pray for a bountiful harvest and seek blessings for the well-being of their crops and livestock. The festival typically involves community gatherings, feasting, and traditional dances.

Rongker

Rongker is a harvest festival celebrated to appease the deities and seek their blessings for a successful harvest. During Rongker, the Karbis perform rituals to honor the spirits of the hills, forests, and rivers. This festival also involves cultural performances, music, and feasting.

Sok-keroi

Sok-keroi is a post-harvest festival celebrated with much fervor and enthusiasm. It's a time for the Karbis to rejoice and express gratitude for the successful completion of the harvest season. The festival features traditional dances, songs, and rituals to thank the deities for their blessings.

Hacha-Kekan

Hacha-Kekan is a festival dedicated to the worship of the goddess Kekan, who is believed to protect the Karbi people from harm and bring prosperity to their lives. During this festival, devotees offer prayers, perform rituals, and participate in community feasts to honor the goddess.

Dehal Kachirdom or Dehal Rongker

This festival is celebrated to commemorate the dead ancestors of the Karbi tribe. It's a solemn occasion where families gather to pay homage to their departed loved ones through rituals, prayers, and offerings. Dehal Kachirdom is an important festival that reinforces the cultural and spiritual beliefs of the Karbi community.

Chomangkan

Chomangkan is a traditional festival celebrated by the Karbi tribe to welcome the spring season. It's a time of renewal and rejuvenation, marked by various cultural activities, folk dances, and rituals. Chomangkan is an occasion for the Karbis to rejoice in the beauty of nature and celebrate the onset of spring.

Dance

Nimso Kerung

Nimso Kerung is a vibrant dance performance showcased during the Karbi Chomonkan Festival, dedicated to departed family members. It's a symbolic farewell to their spirits as they transition to their eternal rest. This joyous celebration involves both young and old from the community. The term “Nimso” translates to "maiden," and kerung refers to the act of picking up the maiden for the dance. Typically, a young woman is escorted by two men, intertwining in rhythmic movements to the beat of drums, orchestrated by the Duhuidi-Duhuijang.

Banjar Kekan

An integral component of the Chomonkan festival, Banjar Kekan, involves youth exclusively, dancing around bamboo poles in the outer courtyard.

Chong Kedam

Chong Kedam is a martial dance tradition among Karbi men during the Chomonkan festival, embodying warrior spirits synchronized with drumbeats.

Kethir Kekan

Performed in the presence of effigies representing deceased individuals, Kethir Kekan features boys dancing to drum rhythms.

Hacha Kekan

Celebrated during the post-harvest Sok Keroi Festival, Hacha Kekan exudes traditional fervor, accompanied by the melodious tunes of the singer, Lunsepo.

Rit Nong Chingdi Kekan

This traditional dance, associated with the Karbis' seed-sowing festivals in April, depicts the cultivation process from seed sowing to harvesting.

Lengpum Sokchon Kekan

Known as the bamboo dance, Lengpum Sokchon Kekan is a highlight of the harvesting festival, where dancers gracefully navigate between pairs of horizontal bamboos.

Song

Boing-oi Alun

This song is like a gentle elder in the tribe, softly recounting tales of the past, passing on wisdom through melodic whispers.

Chomongkan Alun

It’s like a spirited youth, full of energy and enthusiasm, singing of dreams, aspirations, and the beauty of life.

Botor Kikur

This one embodies the resilience and strength of the tribe, echoing the courage to overcome challenges and the determination to thrive against all odds.

Tua-e-Kethan

It’s akin to a love-struck soul, pouring out emotions of longing and affection, painting a picture of romance and devotion.

Hachakan Alun

Thissong is like  a storyteller by the fire, this song weaves tales of adventure and triumph, captivating listeners with its vivid imagery and compelling narratives.

Kacharhe

This song is like a celebration of unity and community spirit, bringing people together with its lively rhythms and joyful melodies, fostering a sense of belonging and togetherness.