Every year, Mizos organise the Chapchar Kût festival in spring usually held in early March, showcasing the pomp and pageantry of yore. The festival was held at Vanghmun playground in Jampui Hill under North Tripura District on Friday.
Mizo children and young people, colourfully attired in their Mizo regalia, complete with feathered headdresses, jewellery, weapons and other props, participate in groups and numbers. The elderly members of the society come dressed in their traditional costumes. The whole place soon turns into a riot of colours.
Meanwhile, Mizo singers enthral the crowd with their special renderings. This is followed by the various Mizo dances, the most important being the ‘Cheraw’. The nimble-footed female dancers jump in perfect unison and rhythm as the men clap the bamboo sticks around their feet and sing loudly. In the ‘Khuangchawi’, a young man is carried in a bamboo sedan chair by a colourful-attired group of people amidst loud cheers, an event reminiscent of the times when the tribal chieftain used to be carried by his men after a successful hunt
Chapchar Kût festival has several legendary stories. The story behind this celebration goes like this: Once a group of young people returned from their hunting expedition empty-handed. To cover their embarrassment, the village chief organised a grand feast and the whole village offered its individual share and celebrated it with great enthusiasm. Since then this has been celebrated to mark the fun-loving spirit of Mizo society.
Though the form of the festival has changed, the spirit of celebrating it remains the same.