ZO / ZOU TON ANA OM JIEH

Ahing tung ding Noupi Ha (October 2026) chie “Zo/Zou Ton” ani veina min in ka hing nousiet hi! 

Shillong a Zou taten hunkhat ahilou leh pawi khat poupou na hing bawl uh chie, ahing gin chie i tha pen na nuam in na kilungdam thei mamah hi, “tambang lungsim kinei die napen ina tuitum khana die ahi hijie hi va!” chi ing, Zo/Zou ton pawi khat jet thupitah avai guante neita ihi uh lel Zou ton bang ahie? A om jieh bang ahie? Thei sahsah hinanleh khatvei toh hing kum tei sawm leng ka nuam hi.

Kum 1950s in, i Zo/Zou nam lamkai leh asiem apil ten i sakhua (primal religion) uh Zou nam in topsanna nei in Tung Pasian ipu ipan te jong tung Pasian achi uh khu Pasian hing tatah leh ei Pasian ahi chin hing tangkoupi ta uhi. Kum 2004 in jon UZO Golden Jubilee; “Pasian nei nam a hampha hi” chi thupi jang in Jubilee ina lomta uhi. Tapidaw ihing joh in Zou Ton pawi kijatdan leh tuah masang ah Zou ton pawi kijadante kibang nonlou hi. Zou ton pen Tapidaw ihi masang ua bang chi na kijang e chi en khom vai a tomkim thei pen in.

Zo/Zou ton kichi pen ni danglai, i pu leh pate hunlai in, kidemna (types of competitions) khat jong ahi, hat leh hau kidemna leh Pusa-Pasa (ancestor worship) te la pawi lian mamah khat a nei ahi. Zo/Zou te khu Pusa-Pasa biehte na kihi. Nupa chilou koiman Tong theilou hi. Meigong, meithate na tong theilou hi thamlou in tuah hunlai in meigong, meithai a tong thei ding hiel a hausah jong ah na om sih uhi. Ajieh pen Ton theina ding in bu leh bal hau ngai in tuah te hauna ding in innkuan kiching leh thahat apoimo hi. Tong theina ding in Sieltal khat amasah in angai hi. Zu jong kiningching deu die, bawlsah apoimo hi. Mikhat in tong a bawl chie atompen in ni thum lut a, a hausah mamah ten ni sagi (7 days) tan na bawl jou uhi. Anipini (main occasion or event), zingni khu akheleni, Ani thumni or athaini khu Thallou/ Bangkuo vahni kichi hi.

Ipu, pa ten ton khu ana tong jieh khu Sakhua (religious) mi ahi na jal uah na Ton nuam uh ahi, gual nop leh ki pawllim na chou na hilou hi. Ipu ipa te pen singbul suangbul biahte ana hisih uhi, amau pen Hagau biehte ana hi uhi (ancestor worshipper) tuah jieh Ton te khu na pawimo ngai uhi. Tung Pasian (God) pen jong ana gingta uah, ahinla ana bieh khasih uhi. Tung Pasian pen Pasian hoi ahi chin ana bieh seseh sih uhi (Tung-Pasian is a harmless or good God). 

Tuah leh Dawi (evils, demons) te pen Pasian chie na biehlou ua alungtha kha ding jau in biahna na bol jel maimai uhi (ritual practices). Sakhua kichi khu ipu ipa te jong a hinkhua ua ana poimo ngai mamah khat uhi ahi, tuah tam sakhua ana nei jie uah ahina nate uh ana kep bit toutou thei uh ahi (Religion is seen as an aspect of culture, heritage and social solidarity. Culture can be preserved when the religion of the community survives). Tam Ton in a tup (main goal or objective) tahtah ahileh shi jou chie nopsah ding ana hi. I pu ipa te pen mihing hagau a om hi chi ana gingta ua tuah hagau khu mishi-khua a pei jel ah tuah a peina ua leh a mishi-khua ah Ton tong zoute hi jatahna leh thupina nga ua, tualeh Phielgal munlua thei uhi.

Ton/tong kibawl masang ah kisah kholna/kiging kholna te

Innsung kikum:

Innsungpa khat in a tong nuam ahilou leh ton ding om chieng in a innsungdongta - Thallou, Bangkuo, Zawl, U-pa leh pute hankhom in kikhum/kihoulimpi in thupuana um masah hi. Innsung lungkituah lou ten Ton pen na tong theilou ahi. Tam tong jong khu khat leh pangkhomna etsah na ahi.

 

Zo/Zou Ton or Ton Kisingsah/kisahkholna silt e

SA (meat):

Sa omlou ah Ton hi kibawl theilou hi. Ton i chi pen lungdam annkuan luina ahie tuah jieh mani anei ahau te machou in tong jou ua, ahalim nuai ua akhua, ami asah ten sa niengdeu in nethei uhi. Siel bang anipi masang in goutsa in koipai uhi, tuah thamlou loi, voh(pig) te jong gout uhi.

 

Zu (wine):

Zu pen tampi khat ngai hi, a zu te ahileh ajat tuamtuam ahie; Tangzu, Tonzu ki seseh khat jong om hi. Lukhungzu, Bangkuo Zu, tamteng ahileh vaiham toh kihelvawtlou, singtangpa annsieng ngen a kibawl, a niing kai vot a kikoi ahi.

Sing (firewood):

Sing kichi pen tong sung a zah diing kiching, kholkhawm ngai hi. Sing pen ann huanna, mehhuan, zu huanna di leh tummai te ding ahi. Singpuohtha tong diing innsung in chiel in tuanita  apat in Zu kiluppai in Tonla (the festival rhythm) a kisahpai hi.

Puan (garment):

Pat (cotton) apan puankhau ding kilakhie ni puankang kigan in, Tonsiimna in kizang in Sielpuan kichi hi.

Songlai (totem pole):

Tong bawl ding pan a innsung apat pasal thahat mamah ni chiel in Songlai  khat a suisah a, tua Songlai diing in singmaimai hilou in, Sesing gilvate kisui hi. Sesing gil kichi pen sing hoi mama athei ahi, tuah jie ma in jong sutpi ding in Sesing gil sehseh najang uhi inn kilam chie. Ton pen akhatvei kitang pan ahileh, Songlai maimai akaa umlou hi, Anivei tonna ah zong Sonlai pen akaa unmailou hi. Athumvei tonna ah Songkaa a ngaita hi. Songlai kiphut masa pen kung a baban in kiphut jel hi, tuah kiphuna khu innmai tual ahi. Songlai pen adawn zum, a ngawnggeeng, a laikimteng puohsim ahi. Azem kibawlte ahileh, Puondum laizepna a Siellutna leh sumtaw toh kizem hi. Songka a zaang ah pasal khat touthei hi. Anivei ton chieng un sielni tah nathat jel un tuah sielluh khu Songlai tung ah na khai jel uhi. 

Songteeh (totem pole sculptor):  

Tuah pasal thahat Songlai sui nite gel hi songteeh a kichi hi. Amau gel pen innteehte’n hoitah in zu-leh-sa kiningching deu ah vahkham dildel uhi.

Song leh Sawl:

Mipi, Ton zou diingte tunkimni in, Songteeh lamkaina in, mitampi toh tuan Song khu hon zaw in, mishilam a, a lakawm un, innmai leituol laizangtah ah aphut jel uhi. Tuahleh gawpi guitung khat, adawnkawi a, abawh kikhawi nipniep, abawh toh kikhaisawn hi. Hui bang alan chieng in kivei kawikawi hi. Tua Sawl khu Songlai toh kiphutkhawm hi. Tam pen ahileh akhatvei tonna ahi. Tuah sawl khu zi leh pasal bang ah, a kinei chieng uh nakai jel ua, tuah mi khu tulai ah flag dandeu ahi, tuah mi ana khai jel nasan pen uh ahileh kichiemna ahagau (soul mate) nasan uh vantung ah om chieng nasan ua a hagau (ghost or soul) uh kikhenlou ding chi na etsahna uh ahi. 

Tuulpipa (Head of Clan or the Family Priest):

Nitah in tuulpipa, meikuong de in innsung apat innmai lam ah “ Goukhawl, Goukhawl” chi in a vah kawikawi hi. Tuah lai in meikuong na ding in meila (pine tree) te bang, Gawkeh kigom khom bang najang jel uhi. Tuah tuulpipa ahileh innsung a lianpen innsung siempi khat ahi. Tuulpipa in a phuisam; Goukhawl chipen, nei-le-lam, sum-le-pai, bu-le-baal, ganta ahizong in, amaute kung a hasesih un, lungleeng sih un, um khinkhian un chia a hahawna ahi. Tulai hileh a hongkhietna ching ahi. Tuah thamlou tuulpipa in zu-leh- sa a chep masang koima in chiem ahilouleh netheilou ahi.

Pansanni (main day of the festival):

Tuulpipan anasep ding ahilou leh a phuisam ding ang sam jou apat Ton kipan a, tua khu Tonipi ni khu Pansanni kichi hi. Tam Pansanni bang chie kipawllimna (entertainment) dan in, taangvalte’n inn nuoi a Siel huongsung ah, Siel khaukhi in, khatvei innsialam ah, khatvei innmailam ah, a siel a gim masangsie, kikou kom leh nuikhom nainai in suhhawl-touhawl a thaw uhi. Nupi, paipi leh naupang ten en ua thathou in nuamsah mamah uhi. Tam a siel hawl tou, suh hawl ukhu Siellawm a kichi hi. Tuah mi kamham jang in mikhat bang gim kisah a akilieh chieng bang kisiellawm lia ing e/ kisiellawm kei chie bang kichi hi.

Tuah siel khu mat in om ah, tuah joh chie tuah Sielkhu thum vei Songlai thumvei akimvelpi uhi. Siel pen amailam a pei utlouleh aisaan phalou dan a ngai ahi. Tuah jochie Tuulpipa in zuthawl khat tawi in a phiit hi. A phiitzaw in teipi toh dawi in a sunkhem kinei hi. Tuah joh chie tangval te a siel khu asoisah ua tuah joh chie sielpen gim mamah in ding melmuol chie, tangvaal ten tuah siel pen Kaante kaan (high jump) a kaan in kidem uhi. Tuah mipi dang ten gaal-et uhi.

Pansanni chie Tongnu leh Tongpa pen nitahlang chie innmai ah hing pusuohna om ah, tuah na Tongnu pen in Vaphuolgie a lutung ah a tuon a, Tongpa in Muha-Sawnkai, Aahgie a tuon hi. Tongnu leh Tongpa pen jana sangpen pieh in om uhi. Tuah Tong hi abeijo chie Tongte nupa in tonzou apat in ha thum sung koima ann leh tui ne a dawnlou in kikulkhum in ton ziatang uhi.

Akhupsitna (Conclusion)

Tulai Zo/Zou ton khu nidang dan in kibang nonlou hi, ahin alamdang ahisih, ajieh pen eite pen Tapidaw (believers) ihi ta ua nidang Zou Ton pawite dan ah pawi bawl theiding te kihi nonlou. Ahin i Tapidaw uh hina toh kikallou ah ihina uh (identity) kepbitna a bawl ahita in lungdam a huai mamah hi. Tuah thamlou tambang Ton hi lungkitua lou ten tong theilou ahi. I zou nam hi akituah nalai hi china leh mabang ah jong Pasian leh i nam ading in khut kituh in lungkhat ah i luang jel ding uh ahi. 

Emmanuel E. James in ana gen: "The tribals have now become proud of their cultural heritage, even though they cannot go back to the primitive religious styles” achi adih mamah hi. I Zou Ton uh iki lietsahpi mamah ua, tua ikilietsah nasan uh khu Pasian thupina ding in jang va ui. I namkhang touna hi hen len khat leh khat ki-itjo sem semna pawi hihen len, i siampi te uh tawisang na hun hihen len (ipu ipa ten ana ton chieng un a siempi te uh na toisang ua thupinate na pieh uhi, amau lou in ton khu kibawl ngailou ahi), i laisim te uh tawisang na leh hanthonna, tuah leh zouta jou sieh in ihina kepbit leh Pasian leh i nam ading adieh ah gin om jing na diing pawi hing hita hen. 

“Man cannot change his caste but he can change his class” mani hina (Zou) jumpi lou ah, kilietsahpi jo in Pasian leh ihinkhua ding in ahoilam bawhpou lei, ichi i nam puah kihi ding hi. 

ZO/ZOU TON PAWI HUNZAT NUAM!!

~ Sawmlal Zo