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

about a ceremony called tentamana. This was described as a piiu- ~u.i&
('village u' ) and was said to take place every two to three years
(although the last one had taken place five years previously). It was
said to be conducted in the month of kBrtik (October-November) if the
millet and rice did not seem to be ripening properly in time for harvest
the following month. Bhim Bahadur, who had seen this pJ& conducted
once when he was young, said that many dhamis had taken part, but no
women. The cermony centred on Chambog dhi3t-5, a water source seen as the
centre of the village (Plate 16). After the pu-@ at Chamboo, the
participants went in procession round to various other dhfirgs, where
they splashed water using leafy branches (s~fiul i of the chfkapu tree.
The dhfirfis they visited were seen as belonging to the gods Yaklabog and
Naklaboo who lived in Tamaphok before people arrived.
Another ceremony which served to protect the village and its crops
by honouring the spirits of the wild was the Dhul pu.I8. This was held
annually in a kheT field a little below an ex-Indian army soldier's
house on any Tuesday in the month of C& (March-April). Dhamis of all
sorts took part. Dhul ~ulfi was performed to protect the community from
natural disasters, such as landslides, earthquakes, hail, strong winds
and drought. All Yakha men were expected to attend, but the ceremony
was closed to Brahmins, Chetris and other outsiders, If a man could not
attend, he was still expected to send a contribution of money, rice,
cuha and an egg.
The dh8mis other important role was the performance of rituals in
times of sickness designed to remedy ailments caused by named and
unnamed spirits4 These either took the form of work with specific
patients which could take place at any time of the day or night, or more