Thangal Naga

Thangals are one of the indigenous Naga tribes restricted to the Senapati district of the state of Manipur in north-east India. Presently there are 13 Thangal villages. They are found in eleven hill villages of the Senapati District. Mapao Thangal, Thangal Surung, Makeng Thangal Tumnou Pokpi, Tagaramphung (Yaikongpao), Ningthoupham and Mayakhang are some of the bigger villages.

They speak the Thangal language, which resembles Maram, and Rongmei. They are Mongoloid in appearance. They are close-knit and live in hill villages. Traditionally Thangals are farmers cultivating a range of crops such as rice and pulses; vegetables such as brinjal, potatoes, tomatoes, chillies, cucumber and mustard leaf; fruits such as mango, papaya, plantain, pomegranate; and fruits locally known as tii. The agricultural implements that these Thangal tribes use to a great extent are the adze, sickle, axe, plough, and yoke.

Some villages practice jhum, or slash and burn agriculture. Animal husbandry and poultry farming are also the occupations which make them self-sufficient. Women are engaged in various cottage industries, especially weaving.

The traditional attire of the Thangal tribe reflects the inherent simplistic lifestyle of the Thangal people. The people of the region, both men and women, generally dress in bright and colorful attire. The principal dress is largely traditional in nature.

The way the Thangal people wear clothes is unique from other communities. During social functions, the females wear clothes like the Thangal mekhela called pa-thoi, a wrap and shawl. The mekhela is the main ethnic dress of Thangal women, worn by women of all ages. It is in the form of a wide cylinder of cloth folded into pleats draped from the waist downwards. The folds are to the right, as opposed to the pleats of the saree, which are folded to the left. Strings are never used to hold the mekhela around the waist. Ornamental designs on the mekhela are traditionally woven, never printed. This garment plays a symbolic role in the social architecture of the Thangal woman. It is worn during social celebrations, official meetings and the observance of National Day.

Men prefer to wear trousers and shawls, which are generally hand woven. A piece of cloth called a muffler is worn around the chest.

It is unfortunate that the Thangal traditional attires are endangered due to dearth of research and documentation which prevents inter-generational transmission. Moreover, the impact of American Christian missionaries undermined the growth of rich cultural heritage.

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Wikipedia