Ao Nagas seek god's blessing on Moatsu fest

Dimapur: The Ao Naga tribe celebrated one of their premier festivals, Moatsu, with a day-long programme on Thursday, seeking god's blessings for prosperity, good health and community harmony.

The programme was held at Imkongmeren sports complex, Mokukchung.

The celebration, also called Mini Hornbill Festival, was initiated by the Ao community legislators and the Nagaland govt, and organised by the Ao Senden, the apex body of Ao Nagas, on the theme "celebrating our roots".

Gracing the celebration as the special guest, Nagaland assembly speaker Sharingain Longkumer, in his address, said, "While celebrating a festival invokes blessings, one should understand that there are two ways to seek blessings — one is to realise the blessings we are bestowed with and the other how we can seek blessings through a common vision and goals."

Longkumer said while the forefathers of the society had the blessings to lead the people in every aspect of life, there is a need for introspection and retrospection on the blessings — considering where we left our footprints and where those footprints will lead us today.

He also said in this fast changing world where progress is the keyword, there is often a tendency to forget the things one is blessed with, thus becoming a victim of what one desires.

He said: "We need to understand the present society to envision a better future."

He went on to say that in a global word of digitalisation, education and progress, the society has become vulnerable to losing its identity.

The day-long programme included Moatsü Naklu, a special song from Note Grid School of Music, Mokokchung, indigenous games and inter-ward tug-of-war competition.