![]() Food of Mishing Tribes Earlier the Mishing Tribes depended on hunting for their food. With time rice along with fish and meat became their staple food. They also began consuming fruits. The Mishings also rear pig, goat, duck and eat their meat. They also eat vegetables, forest herbs and 'namsing' i.e. dried and grinded fish. 'Apong' a type of drink made from rice is famous among the Mishings. The drink is also offered to the guests during weddings, religious occasions, festivals, etc. Agriculture is the main source of income for them. They also cultivate mustard seeds and paddy. Fishing, hunting and animal husbandry are also practised by them. Dress of Mishing Tribes ![]() Religion of Mishing Tribes Do-ni, the Sun and Polo, the Moon are the main god and goddess of the Mishing Tribes. Do-ni is addressed as mother and Polo as father. The Mishings believe that the gods and goddesses have been divided into two groups, malevolent and benevolent. The main priest of the Mishings is known as 'Mibu.' He is the most revered person among the Mishings. It is believed that he has the ability to connect with the gods and goddess. He chants the 'Abang Mantras' and sings songs about the world, men and women, animals and different powers that exist. During festivals they sacrifice chickens and pigs. They also believe in many folk beliefs such the existence of 'soul Epom', Yalo etc. Festivals of Mishing Tribes Festival constitutes an important part of the Mishings. 'Ali-ai-ligang' is the main festival celebrated by the Mishings during the month of Phagun before the beginning of cultivation. Mother Earth is worshipped during the festival so that with her blessings there is plenty of production. The villagers during the festival wear 'Ribi-gaseng', 'Mibo-galuk', 'Leke-Ege' and 'Gonro-Ugon.' Another grand festival of the Mishings is the 'Porag' celebrated after the crops have been harvested. The Mishings perform their traditional dances during the festive season. These are usually performed either to the tunes of musical instruments or along with their traditional songs. Some of the Mishing dance forms are 'Mibu-dugnam', 'So-man' and 'Ligang-sonam.' They also play different types of musical instruments such as 'Gunggang', 'Dum Dum', 'Le-nang', 'Ejuk Tapung', 'Dendun', 'Tu:tok Tapung', 'Marbang', 'Jekring tapung' etc. Folk Literature of Mishing Tribes The folk life of the Mishing tribes contributes towards the development of their folk literature. The folk literature of the Mishings has been adopted from their 'Luse-Iukor' a proverb, 'Solok', a riddle, 'Do-ying' i.e. a fable and 'Nitom', different folk songs. They also have their own language. They make use of Roman scripts for imparting education and producing literature. Presently, several Mighings have adopted Vaishnavism. |
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