Naga Festival:

In Myanmar, over 100 National races live together on the plane as well as on the hills. Among them Naga tribes are living on the high peaks of North-West Myanmar on the border to India. They are mainly found in the four townships: Lahe, Layshi, Hkamti and Nanyun.

Naga races celebrate the new year festival, which is essentially a Thanks giving festival to the Earth Mother for the bountiful harvest, annually in January. This celebration is held by alternately at either Lahe or Layshi where all the clans gather, for dancing and feasting and meeting friends.

The first day of festival is to erect the Ceremonial Pole. This is a decorated tall bamboo pole set up in the middle of the festival ground. All the Naga clans at the festival take part in this auspicious occasion, all in their colourful native costumes. The second day is for the Naga elders to greed and renew their loyalty and friendship to each other. Gifts are exchanged and every body happily partakes the traditional New Year rice spirits and food together. Long lost friends renew their friendship with each other. Others relive their glorious days while the younger generation finds amusement and fun at the festival. Later in the evening a huge bonfire is lit in the middle of the Festival grounds and everybody join in with much merriment to welcome in the new year and wish for another boundiful harvest in the coming year.

The next day is farewell day as the Festival winds up and everybody prepares again to face life challenges in the coming year with renewed vigour and spirit.