Ritual of the Dead: Karbi <i>Chomangkan</i> Festival in Its Cultural Context
Like most tribal societies, the socio-religious system of the Karbis of Assam also largely conforms to the belief in magic, spirits, and the ancestor cult. The <i>Chomangkan</i> is one of the most important rituals of the Karbis and mirrors their philosophy of life and death. The Karbis...
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MDPI AG
2022-06-01
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| author | Laxmi Hansepi Rena Laisram |
| author_facet | Laxmi Hansepi Rena Laisram |
| author_sort | Laxmi Hansepi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Like most tribal societies, the socio-religious system of the Karbis of Assam also largely conforms to the belief in magic, spirits, and the ancestor cult. The <i>Chomangkan</i> is one of the most important rituals of the Karbis and mirrors their philosophy of life and death. The Karbis believe that the <i>Chomangkan</i> guides the soul of the dead in its journey to the afterlife, but it is not an immediate funeral ritual, and the relatives of the deceased usually take years to perform it on account of its expensive and elaborate nature. An essential aspect of the ritual is the singing of the oral epics <i>Kacharhe Alun</i> and <i>Mosera Kihir,</i> which are compositions that recount the migration history of the Karbis as the dead embarks on its journey to the ‘village of the ancestors’. The Karbis, who are a clan-based society, have been influenced by Hinduism and Christianity in the last few decades, which has led to a synthesis of the new faiths with the traditional belief system. Therefore, <i>Chomangkan</i> has become a rare ritual, which makes its documentation crucial to preserving Karbi history and culture. Using ethnographic research methods, this paper attempts to critically examine continuity and change in the ‘ritual of the dead’, or <i>Chomangkan,</i> practiced among the Karbi community in Assam. It will also provide insights into the ways in which <i>Chomangkan</i> as a community festival offers an opportunity for the clans and sub-clans to express solidarity, symbolizing the integration of the Karbi lineages in the face of a changing cultural context through various periods of its history. |
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bfd546b6f6574a4a9bc7f2aa9d911d3c |
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| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:38:04Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
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| spelling | doaj.art-bfd546b6f6574a4a9bc7f2aa9d911d3c2023-11-23T18:44:49ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442022-06-0113651010.3390/rel13060510Ritual of the Dead: Karbi <i>Chomangkan</i> Festival in Its Cultural ContextLaxmi Hansepi0Rena Laisram1Department of History, Gauhati University, Jalukbari 781014, IndiaDepartment of History, Gauhati University, Jalukbari 781014, IndiaLike most tribal societies, the socio-religious system of the Karbis of Assam also largely conforms to the belief in magic, spirits, and the ancestor cult. The <i>Chomangkan</i> is one of the most important rituals of the Karbis and mirrors their philosophy of life and death. The Karbis believe that the <i>Chomangkan</i> guides the soul of the dead in its journey to the afterlife, but it is not an immediate funeral ritual, and the relatives of the deceased usually take years to perform it on account of its expensive and elaborate nature. An essential aspect of the ritual is the singing of the oral epics <i>Kacharhe Alun</i> and <i>Mosera Kihir,</i> which are compositions that recount the migration history of the Karbis as the dead embarks on its journey to the ‘village of the ancestors’. The Karbis, who are a clan-based society, have been influenced by Hinduism and Christianity in the last few decades, which has led to a synthesis of the new faiths with the traditional belief system. Therefore, <i>Chomangkan</i> has become a rare ritual, which makes its documentation crucial to preserving Karbi history and culture. Using ethnographic research methods, this paper attempts to critically examine continuity and change in the ‘ritual of the dead’, or <i>Chomangkan,</i> practiced among the Karbi community in Assam. It will also provide insights into the ways in which <i>Chomangkan</i> as a community festival offers an opportunity for the clans and sub-clans to express solidarity, symbolizing the integration of the Karbi lineages in the face of a changing cultural context through various periods of its history.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/13/6/510festivalritual of the deaddancereligioncommunity |
| spellingShingle | Laxmi Hansepi Rena Laisram Ritual of the Dead: Karbi <i>Chomangkan</i> Festival in Its Cultural Context Religions festival ritual of the dead dance religion community |
| title | Ritual of the Dead: Karbi <i>Chomangkan</i> Festival in Its Cultural Context |
| title_full | Ritual of the Dead: Karbi <i>Chomangkan</i> Festival in Its Cultural Context |
| title_fullStr | Ritual of the Dead: Karbi <i>Chomangkan</i> Festival in Its Cultural Context |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ritual of the Dead: Karbi <i>Chomangkan</i> Festival in Its Cultural Context |
| title_short | Ritual of the Dead: Karbi <i>Chomangkan</i> Festival in Its Cultural Context |
| title_sort | ritual of the dead karbi i chomangkan i festival in its cultural context |
| topic | festival ritual of the dead dance religion community |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/13/6/510 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT laxmihansepi ritualofthedeadkarbiichomangkanifestivalinitsculturalcontext AT renalaisram ritualofthedeadkarbiichomangkanifestivalinitsculturalcontext |