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BIRTH
The Lakhers would perform sakia ceremony to beget children. The pregnant
woman and her husband would have to follow certain restrictions - like not participating
in some sacrifices, crossing a river or touching a corpse. While
delivering, the expectant mother kneeled down by the side of a bed and female
relations helped her in the delivery. After birth, the baby would be given
a bath in cold water to wake it up and the mother would bathe in warm
water. The baby would not be taken out the house for three days. On
the fourth day the baby would be taken out in the village street and its earlobes
would be pierced for wearing earrings. On the ninth or tenth day, the
former for a girl and the latter for a boy, a fowl would be sacrificed at the
spot of the birth. After this ceremony, called radeide, the child was
taken to pupa's house and pupa would give some meat or fowl and rice. On
this day the baby's hair would be cut and it would be kept short till the child
was eight or nine years old; thereafter the hair would be kept uncut and tied in
a knot for a boy or a bun for a girl. Two or three months after the birth,
a ceremony called nawhri was performed to propitiate the child's shri or disease
germ to keep it free from illness. A child would be given two or three
names to help God remember atleast one of the names. Generally a boy
would get a name same as the grand father's and the girl, grandmother's.
INHERITANCE
The Lakher system of inheritance was
patrilineal. The eldest son would
inherit the property of the father. Generally, he would share the property
with his youngest brother. The sons in the middle or the daughter or the
widow would not get any share. In the absence of sons, the property would
go to the brothers-eldest and the youngest brothers. Failing brothers,
the next in line of succession were cousins, distant relations and fellow
clansmen.
If a person died leaving behind a widow and minor children, the widow would take
care of the property and the children. In case of the widow remarrying
anyone except the brother of the deceased, the property and the care of the
children would vest in the brother of the deceased.
In heritance was compulsory. A Lakher did not have any right to make any
will regarding the disposal of his property after his death. The line of
inheritance was determined by custom and it could not be changed. Nor was
it left to one to refuse an inheritance. Along with inheritance went
the obligation to discharge the debts and obligations of the person from whom
inheritance flowed.
FEASTS
The Lakhers used to give feasts which would follow a certain order - the entire
series of feasts together was known as Khangchie. The first feast was
called Phidong. When a sow would be killed in the morning and the pork
along with Sahma (rice beer) would be partaken with the invited friends.
After about 3 months of phidong, one would give the next feast called vothawthi
when a boar would be killed in the evening and a large number of people would be
invited to have the meat and beer. The young boys and girls of the village
would amuse the gathered people with songs and dances. The party would go
on for the whole night and would be started afresh next day in the morning with
more beer, meat and rice. In the third feast called vori a sow would be
sacrificed. Only the clans men would participate and the feast would be
over in one night.
The fourth feast was called seichong when a mithun calf would be killed after
sunset. The villagers would participate in the feast for two nights and
two days. The fifth feast was called beibei. For a week before
the feast the young boys and girls of the village would help the person giving
the feast in collection of fire wood for cooking the meat and otherwise prepare
for the mood of the feast by songs and dances. They would be rewarded by a
pig which they would eat with lots of beer. The sacrifice for the feast
would consist of two bull mithuns and three pigs. The feast would last seven days when
the entire village would eat, drink and be merry. The next feast was
performed when a tiger would be killed by any one of the village. The
feast was called chakei. It would involve killing a boar on the first day
and bull mithun and another pig on the second day. Only men would
participate in the fest. The men would dance
around the head of the killed tiger which would be placed on a platform in
a road in the village. After the dance, feast would start which would
continue for a day. The last or the culminating feast was called Khangchei.
To start with, a cow mithun would be killed and the feast would last three days. Thereafter the boys and girls would collect
firewood and would get a pig and beer in return. In the feast five mithun
would be slaughtered and the feast would last nine days. On the last night
there would be a lot of merriment including free mixing of men and women
without any inhibition.
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