Khuongchoi Ceremony
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Khuongchoi Ceremony is one of the ceremonies which is performed by the young boys and girls of the Kuki tribe in order to fight out the evil spirit of the land. This not only helps them to check their strength but also buy fame for their Lawm.
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Khuongchoi Ceremony is a popular religious ceremony practiced by the Kuki tribes. Khuongchoi is a ritual in which the young boys and girls select a paddy field of such a family who can afford to organise a midday meal and sufficient quantity of wine throughout the day which means ten to fifteen pots of Zu. While working in the field the boys and the girls follow certain rules. Their working is usually accompanied with some dances and songs which are a part of the ritual. For this they beat out a rhythm with the best of drums and for this a man is set aside. The ritual of Khuongchoi is one of the most risky and expensive rituals that are taken up as a challenge by the young boys and girls who decide to fight out the evil called Thilha. This not only buys fame to their Lawm but also helps them to verify their level of discipline, restrain and conformity. As it is one of the most expensive rituals of the tribe the priest must ensure that there are at least ten families to bear the cost of midday meal and then seek the chief's permission.
Khuongchoi Ceremony begins with the permission of the chief who gives his consent only after he is assured about the economic status of the families. After receiving the permission the priest along with other members and leaders of the Lawm comes to the residence of the priest where the Thiempu offers to propitiate the Khong or the Drum of the Lawm which is to be played in a specified manner by a selected person. During this the Lawm members also bring their own drums along with a new Mithun hom that has not been used earlier. The ritual begins by spraying a mouthful of wine on the drum after which the drum is played and the ceremony is celebrated along with midday meal arranged by the person in whose field the boys and girls spent the day working.
Thus Khuongchoi Ceremony is another important ritual that carries the cultural trend of the tribe. The Kukis who are primarily agrarian hold a lot of respect for all these rituals which are aimed at protecting the crop from any natural calamities.
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