Chavang Kut - A Traditional Autumn Harvest Festival
Chawang Kut, also simply called Kut, is a major harvest festival celebrated by the Kuki-Chin-Mizo community in Northeast India, especially Manipur. It is celebrated on November 1st every year and is held to express gratitude to God after the harvest. Chawang Kut or Khodo, along with Chapchar Kut, which is celebrated in March, is one of the main harvest festivals in Manipur. The festival is actually a reminder of the bountiful harvest after a year of hard labor and a thanksgiving feast, as traditional songs invoke the unrestrained deer. At the heart of this festival is the cycle of agriculture. Jhum cultivation involves clearing forest land and leaving the felled trees and bushes to dry in the sun before burning them. "Chapchar" refers to this period in the farming cycle. This provides some rest and relief to the farmers, who use this time to celebrate the Chapchar Kut festival. It's also a time when the warmer weather slowly makes its presence felt, replenishing nature...