| Feast of Merit | |
|---|---|
| Type | Ceremonial feast |
| Practised by | Nagas |
| Region | present day Northeast India (Nagaland · Manipur) |
| Purpose | Social prestige, wealth redistribution, ritual status |
| Associated rituals | Mithun sacrifice, communal feasting, house decoration |
Feast of Merit is a traditional ceremonial institution practiced historically among the Nagas in present-day Northeast Indian states of Nagaland and Manipur. It involves the public distribution of wealth, typically through feasting, animal sacrifice and gift-giving to attain social prestige, ritual status and communal recognition.[1][2][3]
The institution is associated with the sacrifice of valuable livestock such as mithun (gayal), buffalo and pigs. In return, the feast-giver acquires symbolic privileges, including the right to wear distinctive ceremonial shawls, erect decorated house-fronts and display carvings or architectural markers denoting status.
Overview
The Feast of Merit functions as a system of wealth redistribution and status acquisition. Rather than accumulating material wealth privately, individuals gain prestige by publicly sharing resources with the whole village.
Among Naga groups, the feast often consists of multiple stages, each requiring increasing expenditure and ritual obligations. Completion of successive feasts elevates social rank and may grant hereditary prestige to descendant.
Regional variations
Different Naga communities use distinct local names and ritual forms Marān Kasā, among the Tangkhul Nagas.[4] Zhotho, among the Chakhesang Nagas.
See also
References
- Neihu, Ketholeno (6 December 2017). "Naga tradition and culture: Understanding the Feast of Merit". The Morung Express. Retrieved 24 May 2026.
- Dey, Kallol (13 April 2018). "Naga tradition: The Feast of Merit". The Indian Express. Retrieved 24 May 2026.
- Wouters, Jelle J P (21 December 2020). "From sharing to accumulation". The Statesman (India). Retrieved 24 May 2026.
- Mayirnao, Shaokhai; Khayi, Sinalei (2023). "Decolonising feasts of merit: reasoning Marān Kasā from a Tangkhul Naga perspective". Asian Ethnicity. 24 (2): 258–277. doi:10.1080/14631369.2022.2089093.