THE YAKHA: CULTURE, ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT IN ...

Tihtir, their distinctive smell being regarded as most purifying and used
in most activities from Dasai- onwards.
The head of the household first put some fresh dub0 grass on the
lintel of the main door which was attached with a rice/dahT ('curd')
paste (some households used sprouted maize instead of or as well as
w, while others used cow dung instead of the rice/dani paste. Often
the mixture was fixed in place with a coin). The same thing was done on
the main pillar in the kitchen. After that it was suggested that people
should not go between the pillar and the door until after they had had
their put on, It was as if the house had been sanctified and
people subsequent ly entering it should 1 i kewise have received a
benediction.
Up and down the valley guns and charges could be heard going off as
people began their Tika laffsune rites. These Tiktiko baDhBi- were more
than celebratory in their function, since they also let everyone locally
know that the T u
along if they wanted to receive T x
ceremony was going to start, so that they could come
from the householder. Every family
seemed to have a slightly different system of doing the T m , a bit like
familial differences in Christmas observances in the U,K., In the case
of our household, our father sat on a stool and the person to receive a
blessing sat on a rug in front of him with hands cupped. The father
sprinkled water from the loTB using the marigold stems like a brush.
Then a broad band of white rice/dahi Tikg was applied across the
forehead. (Chetris were said to apply pink-coloured Tx. We saw some
Yakha walking around with pink m s
as having followed the Chetri custom),
on, who were jokingly referred to
As he applied the T x , the household head said a blessing in