Occasion, Season and Duration

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Kathi kasham

View from Eastern Ukhrul where the death take their way toward Kokto kingdom.

Fourth day: They collect huge quantities of wood for fire and there is a lot of singing and dancing during the feast. The representative of the dead (Thila Kapo) collect the “khamuina” a kind of broad plantain leaf used for the unleavened bread made the next day.
Fifth day: Pigs and Dogs are killed and cut into small pieces, cooked and offered to Kameo (evil spirits) and distributed with a small cake of bread wrapped in the khamunina leaves among the mourners. On this day, cloths of all varieties and qualities are attached to long poles and erected outside each house of the dead. The more cloths displayed, the greater person is considered.
Sixth day: Rice beer that has been fermenting for some days is prepared in large cask and any other work left unfinished is completed.
Seventh day: Before arrival of the guest and relatives, the families offer prayer and gifts to “Kameo” and then the village priest (Sharva) made offering of slices of pork to Kameo by placing it on the platform of the “Wonyaithing”. Then the relatives and guest from surrounding villages start arriving. After arrival of the villagers, each family of the dead calls for the “Thila Kaphunga” representing the dead. The “Thila kaphunga” is decked with bright headgear, necklaces, armlets and anklets. He performed a dance outside and then on entering introduced to the seat of the dead. From this point until the end of the feast, he is looked upon as the dead person in life and he is treated as somebody, near and dear one with no prospect of seeing him again. He is presented with all the food cooked and given all the hospitality. The cloths hung upon poles after been seen and admitted by the villagers are taken down and brought into the house to be given to the representative of dead later on. more...