Chapchar Kut in Mizoram in 2024

Chapchar Kut in Mizoram in 2024
Everybody gets a chance to get involved in the dancing during Chapchar Kut.
  How long until Chapchar Kut?
There are no upcoming dates for this event
  Dates of Chapchar Kut in Mizoram
2024 Fri, Mar 1Regional Holiday
2023 Fri, Mar 3Regional Holiday
2022 Fri, Mar 4Regional Holiday
2021 Fri, Mar 5Regional Holiday
2020 Fri, Mar 6Regional Holiday
  Summary

A popular spring festival in Mizoram that marks the completion of the clearing of the jungle ready to be farmed.

When is Chapchar Kut?

Chapchar Kut is a public holiday in the northeastern Indian state of Mizoram on a Friday in early March.

This popular spring festival is the biggest and most popular in the calendar of the Mizo people.

Traditions of Chapchar Kut

In this part of India, farming involves Jhumming, which is a system of rotating which fields are used for planting each year. This means that each new growing season brings some heavy-duty jungle clearing, chopping down and burning bamboo and trees to make the ground ready for a new crop.

In the 15th century, a tradition of taking a well-earned break and relaxing for a few days after the clearing work began.  In those days, the festival could last for days and in the run-up to the grand finale, the traditions of the festival were established. What was also established was that this is primarily a festival of joy. Though it was never heavily religious, as the state and Mizo people moved away from traditional beliefs to become Christian, the festival fell out of favour. It was revived in the 1960s and 1970s.

Today it has grown to be the biggest of the Mizo festivals - the other two big festivals are also agricultural - Mim Kut and Pawl Kut. 

And although the role of alcohol has been reduced in this dry state, the gaiety and fervour of Chapchar Kut still shines through with plenty of dancing and music to keep everyone in good spirits.

Chapchar Kut takes place on the Assam Rifles ground in Lammual and involves around 15,000 performers and most of the spectators also get involved in proceedings - particularly Chai, the last dance of the festival.


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