Wanshuwa (Tiwa: Wanshúwa) is an important religious festival of the

Tiwa Tiwa and Tigua may refer to: * Tiwa Puebloans, an ethnic group of New Mexico, US * Tiwa (Lalung), an ethnic group of north-eastern India * Tiwa language (India), a Sino-Tibetan language of India * Tiwa languages, a group of Tanoan languages of the ...

living in Amkha and Marjong villages in

Karbi Anglong district Karbi Anglong district is an District, administrative unit in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Assam. It is an autonomous district administered by the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) according to the provisions ...

. It is celebrated once in five or six years. Generally, this festival takes place between June and August. The ceremony usually starts on a Tuesday and ends on a Thursday. The main function takes place on a Wednesday at the residence of Shangdoloi, the head of the village bachelor's dormitory where the "sham" (wooden mortars) are located. These mortars are partly buried underground and arranged in a circular pattern. While dancing to the rhythm of the , and (musical instruments) members of the Shamadi pound the wet rice with a "''lomphor''" (wooden pestle) till rice is ground to a powder. After the dance, the grounded rice flour is mixed lightly with water and is used to sprinkle on people present at the ceremony. The remaining flour is distributed among the villagers to prepare ''wanrusa'', a type of steamed rice cake. The next morning they bring the ''wanrusa'' to the Shangdoloi’s house and offer it to the deities Sodonga Raja and Maldewa Raja. By the late evening of Thursday, the Wanshuwa festival (Wanshúwa Kham) comes to an end. The Tiwa of the Amkha and Marjong group considers the Wankuri or the flour pounded on the day of the Wanshuwa festival to be sacred rice.

History of Wanshuwa Festival (Wanshúwa Kham)

According to a legend associated with the Wanshuwa ceremony,

References

{{Assam Festivals Festivals in Assam June July August Tiwa (India)