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Stone-Pulling Ceremony of Angamis
The Angamis are one of the major Naga tribes that inhabit the areas in and around Kohima and Dimapur in Nagaland. They share an enduring bond with their cultural heritage that is preserved through varied means—from their everyday attire to rituals and ceremonies that they participate in during special occasions.
An Angami man standing atop a stone tied up and ready to be dragged. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Stone-pulling is one such traditional ceremony that the Angamis have practiced for several centuries. The ceremony involves the erection of monoliths to mark significant events—a practice that has been written about in 19th and 20th century accounts of the Angamis. These include Elwin Verrier’s The Nagas in the Nineteenth Century as well as J.H. Hutton’s The Angami Nagas.
Traditionally, stones would be erected to commemorate oath-taking ceremonies. This signified the unbreakable bond between the parties taking an oath, wherein the oath shall hold as long as the stone remains standing. They would also be erected on the successful completion of Feasts of Merit which distinguished the hosts’ position in society and gave them a better standing in the village. Conducting such feasts endowed the hosts with the privilege of organising the communal pulling of a monolith from a distance to the site where the feast was being held.
Erected monoliths. Image Source: Nagaland District Gazetteer: Kohima, 1970, Directorate of Art & Culture, Govt. of Nagaland.
Stone-pulling to celebrate momentous occasions is a common practice even today. Large groups of people, traditionally men but in contemporary times even women, pull a huge stone slab across a set distance. Upon reaching the destination, it is erected as a monolith.
A stone tied up and kept ready to be dragged. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
The preparation for such a ceremony happens well in advance. The stone slabs are chosen meticulously and artisans decorate the sleds or wooden beds—on which the stones are to be carried—with vines. On the actual day of the stone-pulling ceremony, participants or ‘pullers’ gather at the location from where they will pull, dressed in their traditional attire. In recent years, as many as 600 stone-pullers have been involved in pulling a single monolith. Tribal elders and priests conduct rituals to invoke blessings from the deities before the stone-pulling begins. The actual pulling is accompanied with much fanfare, singing, dancing and revelry.
A stone in the process of being pulled. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Spiritual leaders like pastors of the designated villages gather to solemnise the ceremony when it begins. The integration of the church communities into this time-honoured tribal ceremony shows how tribal traditions and Christian practices have synergised over the centuries since colonial times.
The act of pulling the massive stones, often requiring coordinated efforts, represents the Naga people’s ability to overcome challenges through solidarity. It also symbolizes the weight of their ancestors’ wisdom and experiences from which they draw spiritual strength. The ceremony allows the community to come together and rekindle ties of friendship and kinship, while also showcasing the Angamis’ ability to overcome challenges, as they drag a massive stone across the rough and hilly terrain.
A long procession pulling the stone to its destination. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Today, stone-pulling happens at major Angami festivals like Sekrenyi, an annual festival of ‘purification’ that happens in February. Stone-pulling is also a major event at the Hornbill Festival, the flagship event of Nagaland which happens in December at the Kisama Heritage Village near Kohima.
Stone-pulling ceremonies are still conducted to mark important occasions in Naga society. For instance, in 2022, as a part of the Hornbill Festival, one such ceremony was held in Mezoma village to commemorate the 142nd year of the Anglo-Naga peace treaty that had been signed between the Nagas and the British in Mezoma on 27 March, 1880. Similarly, stone-pulling also marked 75 years of Christianity in Mima village back in 2019.
Stone-pulling has remained relevant because it is a ceremony that requires teamwork, coordination and wisdom which are meant to be a reflection of the Angami ancestors’ spirit. The event is thus a celebration of the eternal bond between generations of Angamis, both past and present.
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