Railway
The 'Me-Dam-Me-Phi' festival is celebrated by which community?
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Answer: Option B — Tai-Ahom community
Detailed Solution
Me-Dam-Me-Phi is an important festival of the Tai-Ahom people of Assam. It is a festival of ancestor worship and is celebrated every year on 31 January. The Assam government has declared 31 January a state holiday for this festival.
The name comes from the Tai language: "Me" means offering, "Dam" means the ancestors (the dead), and "Phi" means gods. So Me-Dam-Me-Phi means "offerings to the ancestors and the gods". The Ahoms believe that after death, their ancestors become "Dam" (spirits) who watch over and protect the family. By offering prayers, food and drink to them, people seek their blessings for the welfare of the family and community.
The festival is celebrated both in individual homes and as a public community event, especially at Charaideo, the first capital of the Ahom kingdom, where the royal burial mounds (moidams) of the Ahom kings are located. The Charaideo moidams were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2024.
Background on the Ahoms:
- They are descendants of the Tai people who came from the Shan region (Myanmar) under Sukaphaa in 1228.
- The Ahom dynasty ruled Assam for nearly 600 years (1228-1826).
- Their priests are called "Deodhai", "Mohan" and "Bailung", who still preserve the ancient Tai rituals and Tai scripts.
Other festivals of Assam's communities:
- Bohag Bihu (Rongali Bihu): Assamese New Year (April).
- Ali-Aye-Ligang: spring festival of the Mishing tribe (February).
- Baishagu: spring festival of the Bodos.
- Rongker and Chomangkan: festivals of the Karbis.
- Good to know
- The Bodos celebrate Baishagu and Kherai.
- The Mishings celebrate Ali-Aye-Ligang.
- The Karbis celebrate Rongker and Chomangkan.
Quick tip
Remember: Me-Dam-Me-Phi = Tai-Ahom ancestor worship, 31 January, Assam; Charaideo moidams = UNESCO 2024; Ali-Aye-Ligang = Mishing.
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Festivals & Fairs of India — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Festivals & Fairs of India, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the religious, harvest, tribal and cultural festivals of India, the fairs (melas) held across the country, and the states, communities and seasons linked to them. It also includes festivals listed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage, such as Kumbh Mela and Durga Puja in Kolkata. Most questions ask which state celebrates a festival, which tribe it belongs to, or what event it marks. Harvest festivals are especially common: Pongal (Tamil Nadu), Onam (Kerala), Bihu (Assam), Lohri and Baisakhi (Punjab) and Nuakhai (Odisha). Fairs such as the Pushkar camel fair (Rajasthan) and the Sonepur cattle fair (Bihar) are also frequently tested. Revise festivals state by state. Practise the festivals and fairs questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.