Imphal, Sep 12: Siichii-Tu-Kachii, a stone pulling ceremony which is rarely conducted among the Maram community was held at Willong Khullen in Senapati district on Sunday in memory of late Marius Rojing who served as an attendant of the Medical department and was also the eldest brother of ex-minister Francis Ngajokpa.
While talking to media persons an elder K. Raison, former Maram Student Union president, narrated that the Marams believed in the stone’s hardness and that its strong power would bless the Maram community to live like stones. The “Siichii-Tu-Kachii” ceremony is conducted by the community very rarely.
He further said that no individual can pull any stone and conduct this ceremony very lightly because a number of customary laws are involved. Whoever forcibly conducts the ceremony will fall ill or suffer from some disease due to the inobedience.
To conduct this ceremony, first a priest, who in the Maram community is named as “Atura Katiipa” will conduct a prayer to the almighty and will go to the stone and beg the stone for the person who wants to bring the stone to live with his family.
Further the chosen stone will come to the person in his dream on the same night he chose the stone with the priest and will give its word whether the stone likes to join his or her family. Following this a good day will be chosen by the priest and the stone will be pulled by all villagers. Before pulling the stone the person will serve a big feast first to all the villagers and with prayers to the almighty a good day will be selected and the stone will pulled by the villagers.
During the ceremony of stone pulling the villagers will pull the stone with rope by keeping the stone on a board and will pull while singing a song and also firing guns. Later the villagers are received by beautiful women with traditional wine at the village gate.
During the ceremony all the relatives of the person are also gathered in separate places inside the village with singing of songs and drinking of wine in a big feast. Maram community leaders, village chiefs, and other also participated in the ceremony.