Chapchar Kut, Mizoram’s biggest and most important will be celebrated across the State on March 6 next.
An official statement said the organizing committe’s meeting held under the leadership of chief minister Zoramthanga on Tuesday decided that the festival will be celebrated for two days.
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While March 5 will be celebrated as pre-festival, which would be graced by art and culture minister R Lalzirliana as ‘Kut Pa’ or father of the festival, the grand celebration will take place on March 6, where chief minister Zoramthanga would be the Kut Pa, the statement said.
“Zonun ze mawi chawi san,” which literally means promotion of Mizos’ culture and moral code has been chosen as the theme for this year Chapchar Kut.
The two-day event will be celebrated with cultural fervour and gaiety in all parts of the State and the grand celebration will be held at Lammual or Assam Rifles ground in Aizawl.
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It will also see an eye catching performance of different cultural dances, including mass ‘Cheraw’ or bamboo dance by various YMA branches and also traditional music and songs from various artistes.
Chapchar Kut Run will be organized in early morning on March 5.
The organizing committee decided to invite diplomats from various foreign embassies like the USA, Bangladesh, Thailand, Myanmar, Korea, Japan, Nepal, Bhutan, China and Israel besides leaders of different tribes of Mizo from different parts of the world, the official statement said.
Exhibition of painting, photo, handloom and handicraft will be held in different places in Aizawl as part of the celebration while food court will also be set up at the venue of the main celebration at Lammual, the statement said.
In order to promote cultural values and traditions of the Mizos, the organizing committee has appealed to all government employees and other willing individuals to wear Mizo traditional dresses in their respective working places from March 2 to 6.
Chapchar Kut is a spring festival celebrated usually in March after completion of most arduous task of Jhum operation i.e., jungle-clearing (clearing of the remnants of burning).
According to historians, Chapchar Kut is said to have originated 1450-1700 A.D. in a village called Suaipui.
When English missionaries came to Mizorm in late 1890s, they discouraged the festival citing detrimental to Christian values.
However, it was revived in 1973 on a mass scale sans animistic practice and alcohol.