Chapchar Kut, the most important traditional festival of the Mizos, kicked off on Thursday across Mizoram with much fanfare and cultural fervour. In Aizawl, the grand celebration is being held at AR ground.
Mizoram Art and Culture minister R Romawia was Kut Pa or father of the festival for the first day of celebration, while art & culture department director R. Hmingthanzuala was the ‘Kut Thlengtu’ or host of the festival.
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The theme of Chapchar Kut for this year is ‘Sem sem dam dam, ei bil thi thi,’ which is a Mizo saying meaning ‘live and let live’.
People from all walks of life, young and old dressed in traditional attire thronged the venue of the festival in their respective places where the joyous celebration took place the whole day.
Addressing the grand celebration of Chapchar Kut at AR ground in Aizawl, Kut Pa R Romawia said that the Chapchar Kut strengthen unity and brotherhood among all Mizo tribes.
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He urged all Mizos living in different parts of the world to remember that they are from one descendant and that any place wherein they settle was given by the God.
“Let the feeling of non-separation be inculcated in us,” he said.
He said that the theme of Chapchar Kut was the true culture and moral conduct of the Mizos which has to be retained and keep alive by young generation.
Citing about the need for creating Mizoram as a comfortable place to live in, the Kut Pa said every Mizo has the responsibility to create Mizoram a comfortable place and economically self-sufficient state and for this people should have sincerity and honesty.
Young Mizo Association general secretary Lalhmachhuana in the opening speech stressed on the importance of protecting and popularizing Mizo tradition and culture amidst the growing pace of modernity.
He further urged the people to not only put on traditional dress but put Mizo culture into practice.
During the celebration of Chapchar Kut at AR ground in Aizawl, exuberant dancers danced to the tunes of traditional music and songs while popular Mizo dances including Cheraw, Vapual lam, Salu lam, Sarlamkai, Chai, Parlam, Rallu lam and Siktuithiang lam were performed by different cultural troupes.
Apart from this various Mizo traditional practices like lengkhawm zai, costume parade, darbu zaipawl, mizo indigenous games, pawnto and chawnghnawh (stuffing boiled eggs/biscuit into each other’s mouths) which exposed Mizo culture were demonstrated by individuals and groups.
As part of Chapchar Kut celebration, art exhibition, museum exhibition, photo exhibition, flower show, food fest and handloom show were also organized.
Zo descendants from Myanmar, Bangladesh, Tripura, Manipur and Meghalaya also took part at the celebration.
Chapchar Kut was also celebrated in Kolasib, Mamit, Lunglei, Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Zobawk, Sialhawk and other places.