Apei Hingba, the oldest living queen on her way to grace the Naga seed-sowing festival, the Lui-Ngai-Ni at Senapati on Monday. She is the queen of Maram Namdi.
Imphal, Feb 16 : Queen Apei Hingba, graced the Naga seed sowing festival at Katomei village in Senapati on Monday. Speaking on the occasion, Queen Hingba blessed with the words, "I wish you all my children, as you start to sow seed and cultivate, may your harvest be as rich as and be bounty as 'Sba Srung' and 'Smiiti' (a kind of fruits).
Queen Hingba then said that as per the custom and tradition the first seed is sown by the king or the queen after performing certain rituals like fasting and abstinence. The abstinence even includes marital relationship. "Thereafter, the general public would follow suit in seed sowing of their own and so is the same for transplantation. And as the queen, I had done these rituals from the day you have invited me to be the Chief Celebrant (of Lui-Ngai-Ni)", was what Queen Hingba said.
Colourful cultural programmes marked today's Lui-Ngai-Ni programme. Apart from the Naga cultural troups, the Kukis, the Gorkhas and other communities participated the occasion. There was also an exhibition of Naga cuisines during the festival today. This year's Lui-Ngai-Ni was celebrated by the Nagas in various places under the theme, "Our Resources, Our Future".
United Naga Council (UNC) chief Samson Remmei, social worker Artax Shimray, minister DD Thaisii, ANSAM president David Choro, Naga leaders like Paul Leo, ex-Minister Francis, MLAs Awangbow and K Raina, former ANSAM chief Paulring Langhu, Naga women leader Grace Satshang, the Naga Hoho vice president and many others participated at the state level Lui-Ngai-Ni at Katomei in Senapati. Meanwhile, a Lui-Ngai-Ni festival was also held at Majorkhul in Imphal organised by Zeliangrong Interim Body (ZIB), Zeliangrong Union and Zeliangronh Youth Front.
Stating the significance of the festival, R. Chandra Hoamei, general secretary, ZCCHP said that Lui-Ngai-Ni is being celebrated since ancient times where the beautiful Naga ladies and the handsome Naga gentlemen clad with traditional attires used to offer the workers sowing the seed for the whole year. The Nagas pray for yielding agricultural productivity for the whole year, added R. Chandra Haomei.
Lui-Ngai-Ni was declared a state holiday in an inaugural function held in Imphal on February 15, 1987. In that function of 1987, the then Union minister P.A Sangma, the then chief minister, Rishang Keishing and the them MP Meijinlung Kamson graced the occasion as chief guest, president and guest of honour respectively.
Today's festival was graced by dignitaries, Poujairung Thaimei, vice president, ZCCHCP, B. Ahuiba, vice president, Zeliangrong Interim Baudi (ZIB-Assam, Manipur, Nagaland), Thambaljao Phaomei, counselor, Imphal Municipal Council (IMC) as a chief guest, president and guest of honour respectively.
Queen Hingba then said that as per the custom and tradition the first seed is sown by the king or the queen after performing certain rituals like fasting and abstinence. The abstinence even includes marital relationship. "Thereafter, the general public would follow suit in seed sowing of their own and so is the same for transplantation. And as the queen, I had done these rituals from the day you have invited me to be the Chief Celebrant (of Lui-Ngai-Ni)", was what Queen Hingba said.
Colourful cultural programmes marked today's Lui-Ngai-Ni programme. Apart from the Naga cultural troups, the Kukis, the Gorkhas and other communities participated the occasion. There was also an exhibition of Naga cuisines during the festival today. This year's Lui-Ngai-Ni was celebrated by the Nagas in various places under the theme, "Our Resources, Our Future".
United Naga Council (UNC) chief Samson Remmei, social worker Artax Shimray, minister DD Thaisii, ANSAM president David Choro, Naga leaders like Paul Leo, ex-Minister Francis, MLAs Awangbow and K Raina, former ANSAM chief Paulring Langhu, Naga women leader Grace Satshang, the Naga Hoho vice president and many others participated at the state level Lui-Ngai-Ni at Katomei in Senapati. Meanwhile, a Lui-Ngai-Ni festival was also held at Majorkhul in Imphal organised by Zeliangrong Interim Body (ZIB), Zeliangrong Union and Zeliangronh Youth Front.
Stating the significance of the festival, R. Chandra Hoamei, general secretary, ZCCHP said that Lui-Ngai-Ni is being celebrated since ancient times where the beautiful Naga ladies and the handsome Naga gentlemen clad with traditional attires used to offer the workers sowing the seed for the whole year. The Nagas pray for yielding agricultural productivity for the whole year, added R. Chandra Haomei.
Lui-Ngai-Ni was declared a state holiday in an inaugural function held in Imphal on February 15, 1987. In that function of 1987, the then Union minister P.A Sangma, the then chief minister, Rishang Keishing and the them MP Meijinlung Kamson graced the occasion as chief guest, president and guest of honour respectively.
Today's festival was graced by dignitaries, Poujairung Thaimei, vice president, ZCCHCP, B. Ahuiba, vice president, Zeliangrong Interim Baudi (ZIB-Assam, Manipur, Nagaland), Thambaljao Phaomei, counselor, Imphal Municipal Council (IMC) as a chief guest, president and guest of honour respectively.