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Tuluni Festival (July)
 Time :
July.
Venue :
Nagaland in India.
Celebrated By :
Sumi Nagas.
The Festival
The Tuluni is held in the month of July and is the most significant festival of the
Semas. The festival is marked by the prayers and offerings to Litsaba - the deity of fruitfulness who gives life and protection to the crops.
Sumis have two dissimilar 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 broad 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 impressive 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 especially 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.
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