Chavang Kut: an autumn post-harvest festival of the Kuki-Chin-Mizo community
Ngamtinlun Touthang The annual autumn Kut festival of the Kuki-Chin-Mizo community is coming to an end for this year with grand celebrations in different parts of the world though the official State Level Kut in Manipur remained low profile, and the district levels cancelled altogether due to pandemic. Traditionally, there is no fixed date but Chavang Kut usually starts in October and continues till November. However, the official date falls on November 1 in Manipur and Assam. Kut is the most widely recognised festival of the Kuki-Chin-Mizo community living in the Bangladesh-India-Myanmar tri-junction. There are many types of Kut observed by this ethnic group. Chapchar Kut is widely celebrated in Mizoram; Mim Kut in Nagaland: Khuado Kut in Chin state of Myanmar (Burma) and Chavang Kut in Manipur and Assam. Pawl Kut, Thalfavang Kut , Chang Kut , etc. are others worth mentioning. Kuki dictionaries translate 'Chavang' as 'autumn', ‘ Kut’ as 'festival' or ‘feast’