‘Hemphu’ and ‘Mukrang’
Created this world!
We were born under the ‘Amora tree’
from the egg of ‘Wo Plak Pi’.
Then ‘Sum’ and ‘Sang’ trained us,
Edify us ‘karjong is everywhere’
It is there in air, soil, water, plant, animal.....
Every where!
So we must have admiration for them,
Must nurture and protect them!
Hearting ‘Krjong’ is a crime!
Now everywhere
There is a Chaos!
Rain fades away
Forest disappears
‘Ingnar’ and ‘Bongkrui’ar
are suffering from starvation!
Searching food here and there!
Now everywhere
There is a bedlam!
‘Hanthu’ and ‘Mehek’ are wane
Searching them in day and night!
How we prepare food for ‘Thong Nokbe’!
Now ‘Hi-i-Arnam’ is wandering
Everywhere!
Call everybody
Organize ‘Cho-jun’
to Keep karjong everywhere!
Call one and all
organize ‘Rong Arnam’
To shield karjong everywhere!
Call everyone
organize ‘Wophong Rongker’
To protect ‘karjong’ everywhere!
It is based on Karbi folk believes and tradition. Karbi is tribal group inhabited mainly in Krbi-Anglong district of Assam, India; which is located in a rain shadow zone. They belief soul is everywhere so everything in nature to be nurture, take care and protected. There is a saying that after creation of world, creator sends two parents to the world and from them again different clan are evolved. Before increase of population creator sprinkle nine seeds to east and west, out of which Hanthu and Mehek germinated and flourish. The first Warrior Thong Nokbe introduce the practices of getting food from wild, he first prepare food from Hanthu and Mehek, so Karbi people consider them as scared food and it is mandatory to prepare it in every auspicious occasion.
‘Hemphu’ and ‘Mukrang’ – the creator, Karbis hold in high esteem on them;
Karjong- Soul; Amora tree- Foudiaf mangrifera; Wo Plak Pi- Sacred bird (a mythical bird), Sum and Sang- first Karbi Parents; Ingnar – Elephant; Bongkrui- Tiger, Hanthu- a verity of herbs ( Scientific name Gnetum gnemon L. (Gnetaceae) Gnetum gnemon L. (family Gnetaceae); Mehek- a variety of Shed tolerating slending tree ( Scientific name - Mehek (Rhynchotechum ellipticum (Dietr.) Gnetum gnemon L. (Gnetaceae) Gnetum gnemon L. (family Gnetaceae), Thong Nokbe- first Karbi Warrior; Hi-i-Arnam- Evil spirit; ‘Cho-jun’ – a rituals performed once in three years in ‘normal circumstances’ or if ‘demanded’ earlier. ‘Cho-jun’ is performed for family wellbeing during which the ancestors from both the male and female lineages are also propitiated; Rong Arnam is another ritual observed during the month of Matizang (December) for the protection of the whole village; Wophong Rongker- It is believed that the performance of WophongRongker protects the agricultural lands from the ravages of floods and ensures timely rain.The venue for the performance of Wophong Rongker is the Wophong Rongker than (a stone shrine surrounded by a patch of forest – a sacred grove) situated in the nearby hill just outside the village. It is taboo to even pluck fruits from the trees of the than.
