HT Correspondent
MARGHERITA, Jan 31: The 41st Me-Dam-Me-Phi, the holy festival of the Tai Ahom community, was celebrated at Dehing Patkai Chaolung Sukapha Samannay Khetra, 4th mile Udaipur, falling under the 83rd Margherita Constituency of Tinsukia district. This year, the program was organised on a Margherita sub-divisional basis.
The two-day program began on Tuesday, where on the first day, the stage was inaugurated by Nitu Changmai, officer in charge of Lekhapani Police Station, followed by various competitions inaugurated by Girin Buragohain, retired headmaster of Longtong Primary School. The first day concluded with a delegate session presided over by Dimeswar Chetia and an evening Fhuralung Puja.
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On the second day, Wednesday, the program began with safai abhiyan, inaugurated by Pramod Phukan, Jagun Forest range officer, followed by Banfhi Puja, Bin Khring Fha (hoisting of flags) by Hareswar Konwar, president of the Me-Dam-Me-Phi organising committee.
Following that, Chao Rupam Gogoi, a noted social worker of Margherita, in memory of his father Chao Rajini Gogoi, donated and inaugurated the idol of Chaolung Sukapha. This was followed by Maidam Tarpan, Tai cultural program, an open session, inauguration of a souvenir, and a prize distribution ceremony held at Dehing Patkai Chaolung Sukapha Samannay Khetra stage. Many distinguished individuals were present, including Dr Girin Phukan, retired HOD professor of Dibrugarh University, Jagat Changmai, veteran journalist of the Ledo area, Manoj Phukan of Ledo, Utpal Konwar, president of Me-Dam-Me-Phi Margherita central committee, Girin Gogoi, chief advisor of Tai Ahom Yuba Parishad Asom central committee, Pranab Gogoi, retired principal of Margherita College, Mukut Borpatragohain, noted social worker, Rupam Gogoi, noted social worker of Margherita, Rubul Phukan, vice president of Asom Poi Fhuralung Sangha central committee, and others.
Dr Girin Phukan, in his speech, highlighted that Me-Dam-Me-Phi is the holy festival of the Tai Ahom community, where ‘Me’ means offerings, ‘Dam’ means the ancestors, and ‘Phi’ means God. He explained that it signifies offerings of obligations to the dead and sacrifices to God.
Dr Girin Phukan mentioned that during the British colonial period, Me-Dam-Me-Phi was not allowed to be celebrated for nearly 150 years. However, in the 60s, the festival began to be organised by the Tai Ahom community in Assam due to political reasons. He explained that during the Treaty of Yandaboo in 1826, Ahom monarchy declined, and British colonial authorities brought Assam and neighboring states under their control.
Dr Girin Phukan further noted that the Tai Ahom community people were not socially or politically conscious from 1826 to 1839. Still, in 1839, the Ahom Association (Asom Sabha after onwards) was born, and since then, Tai Ahom community people got united politically and fought for their rights.
On this occasion, a Margherita Sub-divisional Me-Dam-Me-Phi Celebration Committee was formed for the years 2025 to 2026, with Utpal Konwar as president, Ajit Bezbaruah as general secretary, along with 17 members.
Our Biswanath Chariali correspondent adds: Me-Dam-Me-Phi, one of the prominent religious festivals of the Ahoms, was observed at different parts of Biswanath Chariali, like other parts of the state. The central Me-Dam-Me-Phi program was held at Sukapha Samannay Khetra here with a day-long program. Similarly, the Me-Dam-Me-Phi program convened by the Uttar Sootea Yuva Tai Parishad was observed amid religious rituals at the Mula Gabharu Moidam located at Solahola, on the northern part of Sootea. At the very beginning of the day-long program, the organisers offered prayers in memory of the ancestors and carried out other programs at the later stage, informed Ananda Handique, secretary of Mula Gabharu Cremation Conservation Committee. On the other hand, the Pub Sootea Tai Ahom Yuva Parishad had organised Me-Dam-Me-Phi at Gereki, Sootea. Sootea MLA Padma Hazarika attended the event as a chief guest and offered prayers to the ancestors of the Ahoms.
Our Sivasagar correspondent adds: Despite the biting cold and rain, ‘Me-Dam-Me-Phi,’ the Tai Ahom festival of remembering and paying homage to their ‘pulin puthaos’ (ancestors), was celebrated with religious fervour by the Ahom community in different places in the district on Wednesday. The community priests, known as ‘Deudhai bailungs’, performed ‘Furalung’ and ‘ban fi’ rituals with sacrificial offerings.
In keeping with tradition, the Me-Dam-Me-Phi was observed in the Talatal-ghar premises in the presence of a large gathering. The Sivasagar MLA was the chief guest on the occasion and attended the community feast with participants from diverse communities.
The Me-Dam-Me-Phi was also celebrated in the Boarding Field with traditional gaiety.
Our Tezpur correspondent adds: With the rest of the state, the most important festival of the Ahom religion, Me-Dam-Me-Phi, was celebrated by the Tai-Ahom Cultural Development Committee at Chukapha Bhawan in Tezpur from Tuesday evening to show respect to the ‘Pulin Puthao’ (departed ancestors) and commemorate their contribution to society. It is to be mentioned here that the Tai-Ahom Cultural Development Committee has been celebrating Me-Dam-Me-Phi in Tezpur since 1992. The 27th Me-Dam-Me-Phi was celebrated by the committee with a two-day program starting Tuesday evening. Wednesday morning witnessed people from the Ahom community residing in and around Tezpur town thronging the venue to pay homage to their departed ancestors.
Taking part in the program as the mukhya purohit (main priest), Chao Balin Sarengia started the ritual of offering pujas to the dead ancestors by illuminating an earthen lamp. It was followed by floral tribute to the first Ahom King, Chaolung Sukapha’s statue by the working president of Tai Ahom Cultural Development Committee, Tezpur Dr Suren Gogoi. Dr Gogoi also presided over the open session. Attending the session as the chief guest, Tezpur MLA, Prithiviraj Rabha commemorated the Ahom King’s contributions, including how the Ahom defeated the Mughals.
In the program, a book titled ‘Choxo Basaria Ahom Rajattar Sankhipta Buranji’ penned by Prabin Gogoi was released by senior journalist, working president of Sonitpur Press Club Pankaj Baruah. In his speech, he said that the book would be an important document for future generations. Attending the program as the guest of honour, senior professor of Tezpur University and former vice chancellor of Nagaland University, Dr Balin Chandra Konwar, urged all communities living in the state to work together for a greater Assamese nation, sustaining their dignity and development, while retired vice principal of Darrang College Dr Gahan Chandra Mahanta in his speech commemorated Tai Ahom’s history and their contribution towards building the greater Assamese nation.
Our Demow correspondent adds: Under the patronage of Demow Kendriya Chao Seng Reng Nirman (Construction) and operating committee and in association with Demow Ahom Samaj and Demow ATASU, Me-Dam-Me-Phi 2024 was celebrated in Demow Public Playground on Tuesday and Wednesday for two days. On Tuesday, the rituals of the festival began with the Phuralung Puja done by Bokota Pandit Parishad. On Wednesday, a drawing competition and an essay competition were organised. The Dam Phi Puja began with rituals done by Bokota Pandit Parishad on Wednesday. After that, the prize distribution ceremony was organised, where the winners of the competitions were given prizes. Me-Dam-Me-Phi was also celebrated in historic Thowra Doul and Demow Madhupur.
