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Chomangkan Dance – Symbol of Hey and Gay Days of Karbi Tribes of Assam

“Assam is the land where Nature and cultures prevail is widely known for its potentials in natural resources and hydel power, forest base industries and tourism. The people from these land of Indian Union are develop in every aspect and spheres of life and mingles with the main stream of the “Indian Culture and Traditions”.

The Karbis, formerly known as the Mikirs “Constitute an important ethnic group in the hill areas of Present Assam.” They live in the Karbi Anglong District but some of them are also found in some areas of some districts of Assam as the North Cachar Hills, Nagaon, Sonitpur, Kamrup.

The Karbis do not have a written history to this day but they have enough historical sources for writing a full-fledged history. Like the tribes of Assam as the Deoris, the Kacharis and the Rabhas etc. the Karbis are also the lovers of festivals. Rongker, Hacha and Chomangkan are the three most important festivals of the Karbis. Ronger is a socio-religious festival, Hacha is a social festival while Chomangkan is the festival dedicated to the dead.

Assam is homeland of various tribes, here, Karbi men and women performs their valuable traditional dances. The “Chomangkan Dance” is one of the highlighting dances of the Karbi tribe of Assam.

Chomangkan is primarily a death ceremony. The song sung along with this dance is “Kapa-Er-Alun.” Both the young boys and girls take part in this dance wearing their traditional dresses. The dance is circular. The musical instruments used in this dance are Cheng, Pongi, Muri and Kum.

From the side of the origin it is seen that Chomangkan is a Khasi dance. But it has no connection or relation with the Kahisis but the Karbis. According to Dr. Prafulla Dutta Goswami the original mane or the first name of the festival was “Arleng Karbi” but later on it came to be known as Chomangkan due to the influence of the Khasis.

The Karbis do not do anything hastily for holding the funeral ceremony of a dead person just after his death because they wait for the arrival of his relatives. After their arrival, all the relatives of the dead person hold his funeral ceremony formally. Chomngkan festival is a must for every Karbi.

Chomangkan festival is divided into several divisions on the basis of its importance. The Karbi scholars have mentioned only of three types or divisions of Chomangkan festival. The Harne Chomangkan festival is observed only by the very rich Karbi families or by the Karbi families of high standard.

The ritualistic rites or ceremonies of the Chomangkan festival are very wide and extensive. It takes much time for its proper arrangements. Moreover, the holding of such a festival requires much money as it is very costly or expensive.

Generally the Chomangkan festival is hold under the leadership of two persons. These two important persons are the weeper and Duihudi. The weeper is an aged Karbi woman who is well-versed in the rites and rituals of the festival. Next important person to the weeper is Duihudi. He has two functions. He maintains she programmes or phases of the festival on the one hand and beats the drum maintaining the relations with the different phases of the festival. Herein lies the credit of Duihudi, as a drum beater or “Dhulia” of the festival on the one hand and as a conductor of the same on the other. However, besides the functions of the weeper and Duihidi, the members of the family of the maternal uncle of the dead also play an important role in the Chmangkan festival.

There is no particular time for holding the Chomangkan festival. It depends upon the convenience of the locality. The Karbis generally held this festival outside the village. She Jambelli Athon is connected with the Chomangkan dance or festival. It has an importance as the importance of the drum, pepa and sword used in the festival.

The chomangkan dance or festival lasts for four days and four nights. In other words it is “a non-stop four days and four nights celebration.” She first day of the festival is called Rukehum, the second day is called Kanas, the third day is called Kanapi nad the fourth day or the last day of the festival is ended by doing earthly purificatory rites of the dead person through “Banejab Keku” function or ceremony.

The Karbis never join the chomangkan festival or dance without bowing their heads to the Jambelli Athon first. They regard it as the some of their culture. Further, the Karbis believe that for the salvation of the soul of the dead man from all sorts of cares and anxieties, troubles and unhappiness etc on the one hand and giving it peace after death on the other, they must hold the Chomangkan dance or festival. Herein lies the significance of the festival. In the fag end of the discussion it may rightly be said that the Chomangkan dance or festival is not only a cultural resource of the Karbis alone but also an important cultural resource of the whole culture of Assam.

Bibliography –

1. Bhattacharya, P.C. 1999 – Asamar Janajati.

2. Bordoloi B.N., G.C.Sarma Thakur, M.C. Saikia 1987 – Tribes of Assam, Part-l.

3. Gait, Sir Edward 2001 – A History of Assam.

4. Saikia Bora, Lilabari, 1999 – Prabandhawali, Guwahati.

5. Das, Narayan, Rajbongshi, Paramannda – 1999 Asamiya Sanskritir Kanika, Guwahati

6. Rajbongshi, Paramananda 2003 – Asamiya Jati Aru Sanskriti, Guwahati.

About the Author

Guptajit Pathak
Head, Faculty of Social Sciences
Donyi Polo Vidya Bhawan
Itanagar - 791111
Arunachal Pradesh (India)
Mobile No. 09856274617
Email : guptajitpathak@yahoo.com

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