Lifestyle of Tangsas

Key Takeaways

Their staple is rice, meat and fish, tangsas also use traditional tea making process till date
Every Tangsa household has backstrap looms operated by the women to weave their clothes, scarves, bags, etc.
Their festivals are celebrated with songs and dance, food and Jansu or Jouw su (Rice beer, a local community drink made inside bamboo), where women and men participate equally.

The staple diet of Tangsas and their traditional cuisines consists of Rice, Wah (meat), Kharan (dry meat), Patta (fish) and Nyabjab (leaf) are all cooked in bamboo tubes directly placed on fire. Some of their traditional foods are Dungsuk (local rice cooked in leaves), Khaulam (rice cooked inside bamboo), Wakham (rice cooked in wrapped leaf), Nyamai (fish in wrapped leaf), Nysot (fish cooked in bamboo), Waknyam Toak (pork cooked in leaf), Waknyam Sot (pork cooked in bamboo), Nyasat (fish chutney), Namtuk (pork meat cooked over a red stone), Natuk (fish cooked over a red hot stone) and Taosung (curry). They are also a very colourful community with gorgeous bright coloured dresses, ornaments and weaves of specific patterns and colours signifying the identity of the tribe. The women traditionally wrap around Nayi Gale (skirt/ mekhla) and Long (top) with a ‘Pepadung’ (waist coat) and Khoko (stole) accompanied with Laksing (Mala or locket), coin chain, Sambat (Long Earring) and Khambum (hair veil). The men wear similar clothing like, Khanyak/ Pamuk/ Kharai (Lungi), Mann (Striped cloth of red, yellow, white colours) with Pipa Dohong (jacket) and head gear. Colours and patterns of men's and women's clothing are distinctly different.
Every Tangsa household has backstrap looms operated by the women to weave their clothes, scarves, bags, etc. Their traditional looms (‘Pantang’ in local language) and the parts of the loom are Atur (weft), Alu (wrap), Longkoy (shuttle), Railot (spudle) and Puvya. Also, they are experts in using different daily utility items like baskets, utensils, containers, mats, etc. They use different types of bamboos for making different items like, Wachak a type of bamboo for making ropes and baskets, Maiting another type of bamboo for making utensils and mats.Their festivals are celebrated with songs and dance, food and ‘Jansu’ or ‘Jouw su’ (Rice beer, a local community drink made inside bamboo), where women and men participate equally. 'Moh' is the most important annual festival observed during 9-15 May, celebrating good harvest, nature, and well-being of the community, also ‘Mongbarsa’ on the day new crops are brought from the fields. And another important annual festival is ‘Harong’ which they celebrate by praying to the land and forest for safety and protection ('raksha puja').