IMPHAL, September 27: The Vaiphei tribe today celebrated its autumn festival `Thazing Lap` at Salam Patong Village, Sadar Hill in Senapati district with colourful cultural dances, indigenous sports.
The celebration was participated by youths from the surrounding villages also.
Thangkhawtawng history teller of the village said Thazing-Lap is essentially a post-sowing or pre-harvest recreational festival that takes place after the entire sowing process including weeding, clearing and burning of fields, transplanting and sowing of paddy is completed (during July) or the summer season.
After the tiring sowing season is over, the Vaipheis are engaged in recreation and festivities that stretch into the autumn season which is called Thanzing-month (August, September, and October).
The antecedents or origin of the Thazing-Lap is traced back to a period in Vaiphei history when various Vaiphei clans inhabited a settlement called Khuavaiphei, believed to be located in present day Chin hills, Burma (Myanmar).
Its celebration as a major festival of the Khuavaiphei settlers can be found from around the year back 1560 he said before adding that the festival is not an annual festival.
In Manipur, the earliest instance of the Thazing-Lap was celebrated in the year 1830 at Kulbung Veng, Salam Patong village, Sadar Hill in Senapati district which was continued for three month where the forefather were so engrossed that they even forget about their crops which was already time for harvest.
Today`™s celebration was attended by Ts Anek Vaiphei, Vaiphei People Council (VPC) cabinet member as a chief guest and Jangneilun Vaiphei, Eastern Block VPC chairman as functional president.
Hundreds of Vaiphei villagers of the surrounding villages join the festival where they were treated with a grant feast by the host village.