Moatsu Mong

A post-sowing festival of the Ao Naga tribe, celebrating friendship with warrior chants, indigenous wine, and custom dances.

When the sowing is done and the new shoots appear, the Ao Naga community gathers to seek the Almighty's protection and blessings for the new crop.

The Ao Naga wear their ancient warrior dress with feathered headgear, sing traditional songs of their ancestors' valour, and light the great Sangpangtu bonfire at the heart of the festival.

Traditional rice beer and meat are prepared in every home, and elders perform rites at the village gate. In the Sangpangtu ritual a great fire is lit, around which men and women sit singing folk songs.

When the priest seeks the blessing of Tsungrem (the Almighty), tradition holds that no calamity befalls the village. These days of visiting and sharing food strengthen the bonds of the community.

The Ao Naga have kept the festival alive for centuries through their oral tradition; it is now celebrated on a grand scale at Mokokchung with the support of Nagaland Tourism.

The Ao Naga festival that marks the end of sowing, in the first week of May around Mokokchung. Men dance with spears in ceremonial shawls, log drums are played, and the singing happens around fires after dark. This is a village festival rather than a stadium one — you need to be in an Ao village to see it properly.