Me-Dam-Me-Phi, a traditional festival of the Tai Ahom community, is being celebrated across Assam on Wednesday. This sacred Me-Dam-Me-Phi is celebrated by the Tai Ahom people all over Assam with the aim of remembering the ancestors.
Why is Me-Dam-Me-Phi celebrated?
Tai Pandit also wished for world peace by worshiping 10 mehengas with the Tai Ahom tradition with the intention of remembering men. Me-dam-me-phi means to pray, worship or worship, “dam” means the dead and “phi” means deo or deity.
It is believed that through this religious social festival of the Tai Ahoms, the ancestors are pleased and give blessings from heaven. Saofi (ancestors) and ‘Dam Chao-Phi’ are worshipped on the me-dam-me-phi religious ceremony.
The Tai Pandit worships ten deities by offering incense-deep-offerings, bara rice, poultry, poultry eggs, locoalao and other offerings to the ten deities. These ten deities are Khao Kham, Ai Lang Din, Ja Ching Pha, Jan-Chai-Hung, Langdon, Chit-Lam-Cham, Mutt-Kam Tai-Kum, Dam Chao Phi, Ra-Khim, Ba-Khin. Tai through this tradition seeks jan-ming or blessings for the well-being of herself and society and the country by establishing non-physical contact with the ancestors.
There are also rules for the observance of me-dam-me-phi, which is known as “khaek lai” in the Tai Ahom language.
On the way to Assam, Sukaphaa celebrated ‘Main Dam Mein Phi’ by crossing the Irravati river. As soon as he crossed dai-kao-rang seeking the blessings of his ancestors, Langdan and other gods to conquer a new kingdom and introduce good governance there, he again chanted ‘Me dam mein phi’ on the banks of buri dihing in Namrup. After this puja he gets ‘Main Dam Mein Phi’ at Langteokat in the namni part of Charaideo.
Swargadeva chanted ‘Main Dam Mein Phi’ to seek the blessings of ancestors and gods even while setting up the capital at Charaideo. Later angels also chanted ‘Me-Dam-Me-Phi’ at different times. Suhung-mung (The Dihingian king) (reigned 1497-1539) after defeating the Chutiyas and Butchers organized the ‘Me-Dam-Me-Phi’ and Rikhan festivals across the state.
Sukhampha (Khoraraja) made Me-Dam-Me-Phi as soon as the treaty was established with the Koches. Defeating the Butchers and the Mughals, the swargadeva of Chu-kle-mung (garh-ganga raja) (1539-1552) also celebrated May-Dam-Me-Phi.
Su-Chengpha (Pratap Singha) (1603-1641) celebrated this religious festival three times for the suppression of the Kachari and before fighting the Mughals and winning the war. Thus it can be seen that the holy Me-Dam-Mephi ceremony of the Tai Ahoms has been organizing for the happiness and prosperity of the subjects and the state ever since Sukaphaa set foot in Assam. Even today the Tai Ahoms have been organizing Me-Dam-Me-Phi ceremonies at various places to commemorate that tradition and ancestors.