Three-day festival celebrated post-plantation traditions with sports, folk competitions and cultural programmes; SDO P. Duna Duo hailed the revival of indigenous heritage.
ZHIFIIMAI, July 26: Zhifiimai Village hosted its annual Zhifiimai Laonii ’26 from July 24 to 26, bringing together villagers and visitors for three days of sports, indigenous competitions and cultural programmes aimed at strengthening community bonds while reviving long-forgotten traditions.
Organised by the Zhifiimai Village Authority, the annual post-plantation festival featured a blend of sporting events and traditional cultural competitions that encouraged participation across generations while reaffirming the village’s rich cultural heritage.
The festival commenced on July 24 with a football tournament, marking the official opening of the three day celebration.
On the second day, SDO/SDM of Jassami, P. Duna Duo (MCS), attended the programme as the chief guest. Duo described Laonii as a traditional post-plantation festival observed after the completion of paddy cultivation, when villagers gathered for recreation, relaxation and thanksgiving.
“I’m from Phaibung Khulen, which we call Zhifiimai (Yee Fumai) in our dialect. It is one of the Puomai villages closest to the Tangkhul area, with Chingjaroi as our neighbouring village,” he said.
Duo noted that, like many Naga villages, Zhifiimai’s traditional festivals revolved around the agricultural calendar, including seed sowing, plantation and harvest seasons.
He recalled that during his childhood in the late 1980s, the village celebrated Laonii with traditional wrestling, folk singing, storytelling and a variety of indigenous games. However, many of these customs had gradually disappeared over the years.
“For many years, we continued celebrating Laonii only in name, sharing meals together, but not in the traditional way. This year, we revived these traditional games after almost four decades,” he said.
He added that the revival included traditional wrestling, pole climbing, storytelling, folk singing, jumping events and other indigenous competitions that had once been an integral part of the village festival.
Extending his greetings, Duo wished everyone a “Happy Laonii” and expressed hope that the revived traditions would continue to be celebrated by future generations.
The second day’s programme featured several traditional sporting events, including the much-anticipated Pole Climbing Competition, where the winner received a cash prize of ₹10,000 along with five kilograms of pork.
Traditional wrestling competitions were also organised in two weight categories—20kg to 40kg and 40kg to 60kg. Winners in each category received ₹7,000, while the runners-up and third-place finishers received ₹5,000 and ₹3,000 respectively.
To promote Puomai cultural traditions, the organisers also conducted Laonii Folk Song and Laonii Folktale competitions, with winners in each category receiving ₹1,000.
The festival concluded on July 26 with a volleyball tournament, where the champions received ₹3,000 and the runners-up ₹2,000. A Laonii Bumper (Tambola) draw was also held, with a Housefull prize of ₹10,000.
The Zhifiimai Village Authority said the annual festival had served not only as a platform for sports and entertainment but also as an opportunity to preserve indigenous traditions, promote cultural identity and strengthen unity among the people of Zhifiimai Village.
Users Today : 155
Total Users : 66399