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These five principal
Manau festivals are;(1) Hsu Rein Manau or hsut Manau (2) Rawt Malan or
Padan Manau (3) Ju Manau (4) Kun Ran Manau and (5) Sha Dip Hpawt Manau
festivals.
The Tawt Malan or Padan
Manau Festival. This festival is held to ensure victory in battle. In
ancient times, it was like a battle cry issued forth to recruit warriors
to march on enemies.
Then there is the Ju
Manau, which is a festival to pray for health, protection from harm, for
offspring to carry on family traditions and other religious occasions.
The Kun Ran Manau is
traditionally held to bless a family member who has decided to leave the
fold and set up his own household and work his own land.
The Sha Dip Hpawt Manau
is held to exorcise any evil spirits that may be present in a new plot of
land that is to be cultivated.
The Hsu Rein Manau or
Hsut Manau is the most important of the festivals. It is a grand festival
to celebrate outstanding charitable and philanthropic acts by the "Duwagyi"
or "Great Chieftains". Today the State together with wealthily Kachin
people sponsor the Hsut Manau in honour of the endeavours made by the
Kachin national races for the progress and development of the
Kachin State. It is also said to be a festival to welcome new kinsmen and
friends.
The venue of the festival
is also specially arranged and decorated. Twelve poles are fixed in the
very centre of the enclosure set aside for the celebrations. six of these
poles are placed upright, with two other pairs, each arranged in the form
of a cross. The remaining two are then placed parallel to the ground with
one much higher than the other. However, depending on the purpose of the
occasion, the Manau poles are arranged in a varying patterns. The
configurations on the Manau poles are stylized designs that depict the
trail of ants, birds, butterflies in flight, bulls with horns locked,
waves, and seeds that have sprouted and proliferated.
The basic designs however
are diamond shapes and curved lines. The top and bottom of the poles are
panted with pictures of the sun, moon and earth. The topmost side of the
pole is cut, shaped and painted over in the form of bird’s beak.
The principal musical
instrument is the booming drum, which can be heard within a radius of 4 or
5 miles. It is a long two-faced drum made of calf or water buffalo
leather. It is called the Long Drum or Great Drum. Then there are the
large gongs and a flute called a "Doon Bar" on which is fixed a horn of
the buffalo. The Manau dance does not feature the one-sided. "Ozi" drum or
cymbals as in another Kachin traditional dance, the "Htaung Kar".
The leaders of the Manau
Festival wear long robes with headdresses of hornbill or peacock feathers.
The headdresses is also adorned with tusks of wild boar.
The Kachin Manau festival
is inaugurated by the highest-ranking official present after which follows
the beat of the drums and the echo of the gongs to invite all those far
and near to join in the festivities.
The ‘Manau dance’ is
performed by two groups with two persons leading each group. Behind the
leaders come the members of various clans, the Lawing Wawt, Lachieik,
Rawan, Lihsu and Jinghpaw in full ceremonial national dress. All those
following behind have to watch the leaders and follow their dance step and
change steps and rhythm when they do.
When the dance begins the
Manau leaders and their respective group members face the guests in the
pavilion and perform a dance or obeisance. Then they turn towards the
Manau poles and bow and dance in homage.
The two groups first
dance in rows, gradually forming crescents and finally forming one large
circle that goes round and round the Manau poles, but later as the drum
beat and rhythm of the music change the large circle converges to the
centre, and all bow from head and waist and then step backwards to form a
wide circle again. When all the dance steps have been completed, the
guests and anyone who wishes to are invited to join in the dance.
Sometimes, the leaders
form the patterns painted on the Manau poles with special dance steps.
A Kachin ‘Dah’ or sword
is an important feature or the Manau Dance and is held upright by the
dancer. In Kachin culture the sword or knife is the most unique and
indispensable tool of life. With this knife, land is cleared for
cultivation, trees felled for timber to build house and vows are exchanged
with the Kachin ‘dah’ as witness in betrothal ceremonies much as a Bible
is used in Christian ceremonies.
It was also with this
sword that Kachin nationalists revolted against colonial rule. So it is no
wonder that the Kachin sword features so prominently in the most important
of the Kachin Manau festivals.
The Manau dance consists
of at least 7 to 9 dance movements and the dance itself last form a
minimum of one to three hours to a maximum of four to eight days.
Any one, irrespective of
race, religion or status, is welcome to participate in this traditional
dance festival. It is a very pleasant enjoyable way to get to know at
first hand the culture and traditions so dear to the heart of the Kachin
peoples. With this dance can also be strengthened the foundations of
friendship and national unity.
<Presenting an article
entitled " The Kachin Manau Festival " written by Kyi Kyi Hla>
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