Tingkao Ragwang Chapriak

The Zeliangrong is one of the indigenous ethnic groups of north east India. The Zeliangrong is the acronym of Zemei, Liangmei and Rongmei who live in the states of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland. George A. Grierson has established Zeliangrong as belonging to the Naga-Bodo Sub-family of Tibeto-Burman language family. (2000:477) Like other indigenous communities of the world, the Zeliangrong people, too, have been following a profound indigenous religion. This profound religious tradition is preserved and practiced through oral traditions by the ancient Zeliangrong community through the ages. A scholar says, “Traditional religion is handed down from father to child.” This religion is deeply rooted in the cultural heritage of the people. It had no name and no founder. But it has been historically evolved through the ages by law givers, religious diviners and prophets. It had no common religious authority as it was managed by the Pei, village council as the religious authority. It was nameless before, yet now known as the Tingkao Ragwang Chapriak in short TRC. It was named after Tingkao Ragwang, the Supreme God worshipped by the people since ancient time. So, Tingkao Ragwang Chapriak means the religion of Tingkao Ragwang. The religion is now regulated and managed by a supreme religious authority called the Zeliangrong Religious Council which has two important organs: the Executive Council and the Ecclesiastical Council. The Council has compiled and published the Ringlon Khatni Theilon (Rites de passage), Noushonmei Kathek Karek (The marriage system) and Thousumei Kashoi Kadam in the form of scriptures. Prayer hymns have been composed. Songs and hymns in CDs/cassettes have been produced and distributed among the devotees of TRC. Kalum Kai, the house of worship was constructed for prayer cum religious congregation on every full moon day and every Sunday. There are twenty Kalum Kais in the three states of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland. More KalumKai are expected to be constructed as it is a must to have a Kalum Kai in every traditional Zeliangrong village. Preservation of cultural, social, religious identity and solidarity of the Zeliangrongs through their worships and prayers, rites, rituals and ceremonies, festivals and attain the ultimate goal of the souls, i.e to go to Tingkao Kaidai, the abode of Tingkao Ragwang is the main philosophy of Tingkao Ragwang Chapriak. The population of the Tingkao Ragwang Chapriak faith in the three states is about 30,000 souls [2011 census]. The present article is a humble attempt to delve the Tingkao Ragwang Chapriak faith of Zeliangrongs.

Religion is the system of worship of God by men with a code of spiritual, moral, social behaviour dealing with God, men and society. Religion needs the community as whole so that its members may worship in common its sacred things and its divinities, and society needs religion for the maintenance of moral law and order. Ancient religion is collective in nature and modern religion is individualistic. (William Robertson Smith 2005) Tingkao Ragwang Chapriak is a primordial religion, existing since the beginning of time, ancient and eternal. (Gangmumei Kamei 2005:1; Namthuibuiyang Pamei 2001:30) However, Tingkao Ragwang Chapriak is polytheism, a religion which worships of multiple gods, goddesses and deities though it gives great emphasis to the worship of Tingkao Ragwang, the Supreme God. It believes in Tingkao Ragwang as the highest God out of the many gods. “A God is to be supreme over all others, and the rest are but his vassals, his ministers or angels.” (Frank Byron Jevons1985:383) But Heraka cult and Champa religion follow monotheism, worship of only one god Tingwang /Tingkao Ragwang.

In the beginning, the religion had no name so the western anthropologists described the Tribal religion as Animism. When this concept is applied, every religion has some beliefs in spiritual beings. Animism was a primordial stage of every traditional religion. Now, it becomes a mistaken notion because it was quickly outgrown by the religious and spiritual development of the community concerned. Western observers including the anthropologists and sociologists describe that historically evolved religion is not animism. (Gangmumei Kamei 2004:262-263) Tingkao Ragwang Chapriak is not an animistic cult.

The symbol of TRC locally known as Boudaan is typical: The circle represents the universe/cosmos. Criss-cross lines within the circle represent the Zodiac in the sky. And the sun and moon represent the heavenly bodies which are the creation of Tingkao Ragwang. (Tingkao Ragwang Chapriak, A progress Report, 16th April 2003, Imphal, p.3) Boudaan is now widely used for all religious purposes.

God is the name commonly given to the ultimate source and power of the universe and the subject of religious devotion. He is described as the Supreme Being, the creator, and the ordering force of that is. He is infinite, eternal, immutable creator, preserver of all things and the object of worship. He is a perfectly good, and true, that he is eternal and that he possesses omnipotence, omnipresence, and omniscient.

The Zeiangrong people believe in the existence of one Supreme God who is the creator of the universe, giver and source of life, the dispenser of plenty and justice (Gangmumei Kamei 1998). He is One and the Only One. He is named Tingkao Ragwang. Tingkao Ragwang literally means the heavenly God, or God of the sky or Lord of the universe. R. Brown has made a reference that the Zeliangrong people worshipped a Supreme Being who was the creator of all. (2001:27). He is the ordainer of the need of human kind, the creator of the uncreated and the destroyer of the created. (Tingkao Ragwang Kalum Kai, Souvenir 2001: 28; Conference on Zeliangrong Religion1994:5-6).So, Tingkao Ragwang is the creator, operator and destroyer.

It is believed that Tingkao Ragwang is the maker of the sun, the moon and the earth. He is called ‘The father of the beginning’, ‘The first of the Gods of the upper world’, ‘He who adjusts the world by his hand’, and ‘The lord of truth’. He is also called ‘the king of the Gods’, ‘The lifter of the hand’ and ‘The lord of the crown’. ‘He rules supreme over the gods’. ‘He who has made the world and all that is in it’. (George Rawlinson 1980: 24-52) God is everywhere that He is ‘like wind’ and ‘like air’.(E.E. Evans-Pritchard 1977: 4) There was no such time when He was not there, and there will be no such time when He will not be there. He is the origin and mover of all things in the universe. He was never born, and will never die. Fire cannot burn it. Water cannot wet it. Air cannot dry it up. No weapon can cut it. He is beyond change. He is formless and colourless. He is the protector of men. (E.E Evans-Pritchard 1977:8) Horace says, it is “Who guides below and rules above, the great disposer and the mighty king; than he none greater; next him none can be, or is, nor was; supreme, he singly fills the throne”. (Tryon Edwards 1999: 434) Thus, He is worshipped as the Supreme God.

Tingkao Ragwang is eternal with no beginning and no end, good, source of life, giver and ultimate goal of human soul, source of holiness, architect of men’s destiny, source of knowledge and wisdom. He is created out of nothing by his will. He has no father, nor mother. He just exists. He is beyond time and space. He is omnipresent (present everywhere), omniscient (infinite knowledge), omnipotent (unlimited power) and omnibenevolent (perfect goodness). (Gangmumei Kamei 2005: 5-6; Chaoba Kamson 2009: 1-3) It is believed that Tingkao Ragwang lives in the heaven above the sky called Tingkao Kaidai or Tingkao Ragwang kai; (Tingkao means sky, Ragwang, supreme God and Kai, abode).

According to traditions and myths, Tingkao Ragwang willed to create the universe, god, men and nature. Didimpu and Didimpui created the sun, the moon, the stars, the water, the wind, fire, the earth etc. They were the two primal god and goddess created by Tingkao Ragwang for the same purpose. A god named Dumpapoi created man by the orders of Tingkao Ragwang, the Supreme Being. (R. Brown 2001:27) After creating the earth, Tingkao Ragwang bore the thought of creating human beings who could always remember Him, who could rule the world in his place and who could make offerings to Him. Two additional deities named Dampapu and Dampapui were created to create human beings. The two deities took a long time in creating the human beings. But the created man and woman were lifeless and could not move their limbs. Finally, Tingkao Ragwang gave soul and life only then they became alive and human lives. Soul was given Tingkao Ragwang to men.

Soul is the immortal spiritual substance of human person. It is the animating substance of Individual life. The structure of the composition of soul and body is known as a living being and is further termed mortal. “Soul is not born and does not die” (LLyan, Arthur Smu, Dietrichson, Paul, Keyt, David and Miller, Leonard (Ed.) 1967:39) since it originates from Tingkao Ragwang who is the source of soul and life. (Tingkao Ragwang Chapriak 2002:56-57) —to be contd

11-Nov-2012 / 12:51 AM / Budha Kamei / 0 Comments