Kolkata: The Army’s Eastern Command on Saturday extended greetings to the people of Sikkim and Nagaland on the occasion of the Tendong Lho Rum Faat and Metümnyo festivals.
“Eastern Command extends greetings and best wishes to the people of Sikkim on the occasion of Tendong Lho Rum Faat. May this festival bring peace and happiness amongst all,” the Army posted on X.
In another message, it said: “Eastern Command extends greetings and best wishes to the people of Nagaland on the occasion of Metümnyo. May this festival bring peace and happiness amongst all.”
Tendong Lho Rum Faat (Prayer of the Tendong Mountain) is a festival of the Lepcha people, indigenous to the Eastern Himalayan region of Sikkim, Darjeeling, parts of Nepal and Bhutan.
Celebrated on August 8 as a state holiday in Sikkim, the Lepchas believe their ancestors went atop Tendong Hill in Namchi during a great deluge that nearly wiped out their population.
The festival commemorates Mt Tendong as their saviour and also celebrates the folklore of Teesta Rangeet, rivers considered sacred by the Lepchas.
Metumnyo is the traditional five‑day harvest festival of the Yimkhiung tribe of Nagaland, celebrated after the millet crop is harvested, usually in the second week of August. The village elder or khiungpu inaugurates the ceremonies.
The five‑day festival includes Shito (communal cleaning of the village), Zhihdo (repair of paths leading to fields), Zumdo (repair of inter‑village roads), Khihresuk (cleaning of water points and springs) and Shiresuk (cleaning and worship of agricultural tools).
The Yimkhiungs also pray for the souls of those who passed away in the preceding year. The festival is marked by engagements between young boys and girls, with the Yimkhiungs believing that males have six souls while females have five.
The Eastern Command has a significant presence in both states. Its XXIII Corps is responsible for maintaining the northern border with China in Sikkim. At the same time, the IV Corps is based in Dimapur, Nagaland, and oversees the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh.
(IANS)
