Rituals of Kuki Tribe are important features which form an integral part of the Kuki society. Rituals of Kuki Tribe as such include the religious practices which have travelled from the past along with the prayers that are chanted by the priests of the tribe. The rituals of Kuki tribe are the pivots which express the influence of supernaturalism and mysticism. As the society is based on the traditional beliefs of the land, it includes a variety of myths and folklores which are chanted through prayers. However the ritual of Kuki tribe does not make a mention of any sacred placed which can be treated best for the rituals.
Rituals of Kuki tribe highlight the significance of agriculture, as the society of Kuki tribes is predominantly agro based. Some of the rituals of Kuki tribe include Tuolsuo Rituals, Ankong-Tawl, Sa-Ai Ceremony, Chang-Ai Ceremony, Agricultural Rituals, Khuongchoi Ceremony and Indawi Deity Celebration. These rituals are primarily agro- based ceremonies of Kuki tribe.
Tuolsuo Rituals
Tuolsuo Ritual is an important ceremony of the Kuki tribe which is organised whenever a family in the tribe has produced successful crops of paddy for three consecutive years. In this, the credit goes to the women of the family who are primarily responsible for the success of agricultural produce. In this ceremony, the couple cannot perform the rituals unless they go through an elaborate process of purification and self restrain that is considered to be beneficial for agriculture. The process of self purification is reached through three levels which will finally make them eligible for the ceremony.
The ritual of Ankong-Tawl is the continuation of the same ritual which includes the third stage of the earlier ritual. In this, the child can accompany the parents but cannot share the same meal. This ritual denotes the food items which are to be included in the meal of the wife and her son.
Sa-Ai Ceremony
Sa-Ai ceremony is celebrated by such a male who has gone through the entire procedure of purification. It is a wild hunt game in which the male of the family informs all his Tucha and Becha relatives and takes the permission of the Chief along with the Thiempu and the Council of ministers about this wild hunt and performs rituals before he leaves.
Chang- Ai Ceremony
The festival of Chang-Ai Ceremony is aimed at celebrating the success of farming. This is done more or less privately and is only shared with the Becha relatives, the chief and the priest. This is performed with an intense purification process to pray to god for further success.
Khuongchoi Ceremony
The ceremony like Khuongchoi Ceremony is celebrated to challenge the evil spirits. The main participants are the young boys and girls of the Lawm who along with the Lawm perform the ritual.
Thus, the rituals of Kuki tribe are a combination of both faith and trust which exhibits the belief of the tribal people. As these are more or less agro-based it holds a lot of significance in the daily life of the people of Kuki tribes.