Festivals of North East India
Question Answer
1. What is North-East India?
Ans: North-east India is the easternmost region of India representing both a geographic and political-administrative division of the country.
2. Which states form the North-East India?
Ans: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura form the North-east India.
3. Which states are called the "Land of Seven Sisters'?
Ans: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura are called the "Land of Seven Sisters".
4. Why are they called so?
Ans: They are called so, because they are geographically connected and interdependent with each other.
5. Why is Sikkim not included among the "Seven Sisters"?
Ans: Sikkim not included among the "Seven Sisters", because it is geographically not connected with this region. It is separated by the Siligudi corridor.
6. What role does it play?
Ans: It plays the role of a little brother to the seven sisters.
7. What is culture?
Ans: The ideas, customs, and. social behaviour of a particular group of people or society are known as culture.
8. People here celebrate their festivals with ________ and ___________.
Ans: People here celebrate their festivals with enthusiasm and joy.
9 Many of their festivals are based on ______ .
Ans: Agriculture.
10. What are the two important parts of celebrating their festivals?
Ans: Traditional music and dance are the two important parts of celebrating their festivals.
11. What is the most important festival of Assam?
Ans: Bihu is the most important festival of Assam.
12. Bihu festivals are of three kinds. What are they?
Ans: The three types of Bihu are Rongali Bihu, Kongali Bihu and Bhogali Bihu.
13. Rongali Bihu is also known as _____.
Ans: Bohag Bihu
14. Kongali Bihu is also called _____.
Ans: Kaati Bihu
15. People also name Magh Bihu as _______.
Ans: Bhogali Bihu
16. When is Rongali Bihu celebrated?
Ans: Rongali Bihu is celebrated in mid-April with onset of spring.
17. What does Bohag Bihu celebrate?
Ans: Bohag Bihu celebrates beginning of the sowing season.
18. When is Kaati Bihu celebrated?
Ans: Kaati Bihu is celebrated in mid-October when the fields are lush.
19. What do people do during Kongali Bihu?
Ans: During Kongali Bihu, people light lamps and pray to God for a thriving harvest season and to guide souls to heaven.
20. When is Magh Bihu celebrated?
Ans: Magh Bihu is celebrated in mid-January.
21. Bhogali Bihu marks _______________.
Ans: Bhogali Bihu marks the end of the harvest season.
22. Which festival is a thanksgiving for a rich harvest?
Ans: Magh Bihu is a thanksgiving for a rich harvest.
23. Bihu celebration is incomplete without ___________ and _____________.
Ans: Bihu celebration is incomplete without melodious folk songs and traditional dance.
24. Which musical instruments are played during Bihu dance?
Ans: Cymbals, bamboo clapper, dhol and the pepa which is a wind instrument made of buffalo horn are played during Bihu dance.
25. Where is Arunachal Pradesh?
Ans: Arunachal Pradesh lies farther north in the mountain region of the Himalayas. It is one of India's most remote and picturesque locations with lush green Paddy fields and pine clad mountains.
26. Name three festivals that Arunachal Pradesh celebrates.
Ans: Losar. Mopin and Ziro are the three festivals that Arunachal Pradesh celebrates.
27. Which is the new-year festival of Arunachal Pradesh?
Ans: Losar is the new-year festival of Arunachal Pradesh.
28. What do people do on this occasion?
Ans: On this occasion, people clean their homes and discard the old to bring in the New Year.
29. Which festival is the harvest festival here?
Ans: Mopin festival is the harvest festival here.
30. What do people pray for during Mopin?
Ans: People pray to drive away evil spirits and for acquiring prosperity and wealth.
31. Popir dance is performed on the occasion of ________.
Ans: Popir dance is performed on the occasion of Mopin festival.
32. Ziro festival is an indoor/outdoor festival. (Tick the correct word.)
Ans: Ziro festival is an outdoor festival.
33. Which festival in Manipur establishes a family bond?
Ans: Ningol Chakouba festival in Manipur establishes a family bond.
34. How are the married daughters and their children treated during Ningol Chakouba?
Ans: The married daughters and their children are treated graciously with sumptuous feasts and gifts.
35. Which festival celebrates new-year in Manipur? When?
Ans: Cheiraoba festival celebrates new-year in Manipur. It is celebrated in April.
36. What do the people of Manipur do during the celebration of Cheiraoba?
Ans: During the celebration of Cheiraoba people clean and decorate the houses and prepare special festive dishes. As part of the ritual, the villagers climb the nearest hilltops for they believe that this will help them rise to a higher plane in this life.
37. Chapar Kut is popular in Mizoram as _________.
A. the Spring festival
B. the Winter festival
C. the Autumn festival
D. the Summer festival.
Ans: the Spring festival
38. How do people of Mizoram celebrate Chapchar Kut?
Ans: Men and women of all ages, wearing traditional dresses and headgear, perform folk dances and sing traditional songs to celebrate Chapchar Kut.
39. Wangala is also Known as _________.
Ans: the Hundred-drum Festival.
40. Where is Wangala celebrated?
Ans: Wangala celebrated in Meghalaya.
41. Wangala is a harvest festival. What does it mark?
Ans: It marks the end of hard work.
42. Describe the dance performed during Wangala.
Ans: The dance during Wangala festival has two parallel lines one of the men and the other of women, clad in their festive costumes. While the men beat the drums, the lines move forward together in a rhythmic manner.
43. How do people of Tripura celebrate Karachi Puja? When? Where?
Ans: People of Tripura celebrate Karachi Puja making animal sacrifice and worshipping fourteen gods as instructed by Lord Shiva. It is celebrated in the month of July in old Agartala or Puran Haveli.
44. Why do people throng Tripura during the festival?
Ans: People throng Tripura during the festival to enjoy cultural programmes and fairs.
45. What do the dances during festivals in Tripura showcase?
Ans: The dances during festivals in Tripura showcase hunting, food-gathering and various other activities.
46. Name two Naga festivals.
Ans: Moastu and Hornbill are two Naga festivals.
47. Describe the Naga dance during the celebration of Moastu.
Ans: During the celebration of Moastu the people in villages wear colourful clothes
and headgear decorated with feathers and wild boar tusks, and dance to the traditional music.
48. Which Naga festival is famous in India? What for?
Ans: Hornbill festival is famous in India. Because the event showcases the cultural heritage of 16 tribes there.
49. Which bird is most admired in Nagaland?
Ans: Hornbill bird is most admired in Nagaland.
50. Which Naga festival is named after the bird?
Ans: Hornbill festival is named after the bird.
49. Which bird is most admired in Nagaland?
Ans: Hornbill bird is most admired in Nagaland.
50. Which Naga festival is named after the bird?
Ans: Hornbill festival is named after the bird.
51. What does the event showcase?
Ans: The event showcases the cultural heritage of 16 tribes there.
52. Describe the dance by men during the Hornbill festival.
Ans: During the Hornbill festival Men, clad in full warrior costume, show off their hunting and warring skills.
53. What helps Nagaland protect and continue its history?
Ans: Nagaland consists of different groups of people who are unique in the customs and traditions that they celebrate. Songs and Dances form the soul of the festival in Nagaland. Celebration of these festivals is an effective means of preserving and passing down their oral history.
54. Name four Sikkimese festivals.
Ans: Saga Dawa, Losoong, Losar and Tihaar are four Sikkimese festivals.
55. Match the festivals under A with their occasions under B.
Ans :
a. Losar -- New Year festival
b. Saga Dawa -- Buddhist festival
c. Tihaar -- festival of light
d. Losoong -- harvest festival
56. What do people do while celebrating Saga Dawa?
Ans: While celebrating Saga Dawa people visit the monasteries, offer prayers, water, incense sticks and butter lamps.
57. How do the Sikkimese celebrate their harvest festival?
Ans: Locals wearing brightly coloured masks, playing fascinating musical instruments perform Chaam dance. Archery contest is also held along with feasting and other celebrations. Thus the Sikkimese celebrate their harvest festival.
58. When is the Tibetan New Year celebrated?
Ans: Tibetan New Year is celebrated in February.