Time : July.Venue : Nagaland in India.
Celebrated By : Sumi Nagas.
The Festival
Tuluni Festival the most is important festival of the Sumi Nagas in Nagaland. Tuluni Festival in Nagaland is celebrated during the second week of July, a season of bounty in Nagaland. Tuluni is marked with feasts as the occasion occurs in the fruitful season of the year. This festival is celebrated with great pomp by the Sumi tribe of Nagaland.
Sumis have two different clan-heads, viz. Swu (Sumi) and Tuku (Tuku). By virtue of two separate clans the gennas differs. All the gennas and rituals differ between Sumi and Tuku. Among all other festivals and gennas Sumis in general accepted this all festival of Tuluni as most grand and important one.
The Rituals
Tuluni is a festival of great importance. Rice beer is served in a goblet made with the leaf of plantain. This wine is called Tuluni. Therefore, consumption of the wine is called "Tuluni". Tuluni is also called "Anni" the word which denote the season of plentiful crops. This festival is the greatest and most enthusiastic moment for the Sumi Community of Nagaland.
Fiance is invited for a grand dinner at the fiancee’s residence. In this festival young engaged couples exchange basketful of gifts. Engaged couples are settled at this period. Even siblings of the families of both the bride and groom exchanges dinner and packed food and meats. It is a time of fun even for the baby-sitters. At this day they are fed lavishly with food and meat.
Cultivators generally work in groups and specially for Anni (Festival) they keep budged with either pigs or cows are procured and the butchered animals are shared among the members. The served meat is used for group feast. In the middle of the feast group leaders gets extra offer of meat by way of feeding them by others. Each working group comprises of 20 to 30 members, including several women too. The new recruits are also made to add the group at this grand feast.
The enthusiasm of the feast is accorded with a chain of folk songs and ballads.
