who are said to be one of the backward tribes in the state, came out in large numbers in their colourful attires from early morning to participate in the traditional stone pulling ceremony.
The ceremony was organized in a move to install a large memorial stone at the graveyard of the former Manipur Education Minister Ng Luikang. A megalith has been pulled up from Marek Karii stream, around 4 km north east of Maram bazaar which is about 82 kilometre north of Imphal for this purpose.
The practice of installing a megalith over the graveyard of departed leaders is an honoured tradition of the Maram tribe as it shows the strength and wealth of the prominent leader, Mr. K Raina, local MLA informed. This 48 year old MLA had so far witnessed such a grand traditional stone pulling ceremony only twice in his lifetime.
“I attended such ceremony in memory of my uncle Turang for the first time when I was a kid”, Raina said. This year’s stone pulling event from a deep gorge came after a fifty years gap.
Sharing a similar sentiment, Taruba (75), Khullapka (village chief) of Maram Centre said that the traditional stone pulling event is one of the rarest traditional gathering among the Maram community since time immemorial.
“I attended such a type of traditional ceremony only about twice or thrice in my lifetime”, said Taruba.
Thus this year’s Marahang Tuchii observed in and around Maram bazaar has witnessed presence of a large number of Marams in their colourful attires after the popular traditional sportive festival of Kang-ngi which was come to an end in early part of January this year.
According to Maram elders, only about 500 men used to take part in the stone pulling ceremony in the past. But now with the rise of population, as many as 3000 to 4000 Marams participated in Dr. Peter sponsored Marahang Tuchii this time.
Being a rare occasion almost all important Maram personalities including former Education Minister and Maram leader Francis Ngajokpa, Commanding Officer Colonel Malik of 22 Assam Rifles and Father Palelly of Don Bosco College Maram were also present during the historic event.
Any family desirous of conducting the Marahang Tuchii should first seek approval of the village chief, elders and other community leaders.  Almost all the villagers participating in the ceremony traditionally skipped their usual meal for the day but they are authorized to enjoy an indigenous salad type chatni along with local rice beer.
For this, relatives and family members of Doctor Ng Peter, the host family, were busy brewing over 210 barrels of local rice beer using 1220 kilograms of sticky rice.

Sobhapati Samom