Festivals

Ngada is the major festival of the Rengmas, annually observed as a post-harvest festival in the last week of November. The word Ngada (Nga-merry making; Da-big) means grand rejoicing and merry making. In the olden days, the village priest proclaims the celebration coinciding with the appearance of the new moon, a natural phenomenon called “Shyemhu” in local dialect. It used to be celebrated over a stretch of nine days wherein the first four days consisted of performance of rituals known as genna and the last five days of reconciliation, thanksgiving, festivities and merry making.