By H.H. Mohrmen
Niamtre religion is not an organized religion and does not have a place of worship like the church of Christians, the temple of Hindus, the mosque of Muslims, the gurdwara of Sikhs, or the synagogue of Jews, or sacred spaces like those found in many organised religions. Yet, it has its Ïung Blai, or the House of God. The Ïung Blai, however, is not the only sacred place. As per tradition sacred groves are also revered; rivers and even natural phenomena are considered holy. However, Ïung Blai occupies a unique place in the tradition.
What is a Ïung Blai?
The general understanding is that the Ïung Blai is the ancestral house where the youngest daughter resides with her parents. In reality, however, it is much more than merely a dwelling place or an ancestral house. The Ïung Blai is not only the dwelling place of the rap ïung or ka khadduh/wa kham, the different terms used for the youngest daughter in the family who usually preserves the tradition, but it is also the place where important decisions concerning the affairs of the clan are made.
It is not necessary that only the youngest daughter has the right to be the keeper of the Ïung Blai. The clan can decide who will be the keeper of the Ïung Blai, and she may not necessarily be the khadduh. There is one very important condition to keep: if the keeper of the Ïung Blai is married, she has to be dei Kynsai, which means that the marriage has to be proper and in accordance with tradition.
It is also mandatory that the maternal uncle conducts all clan meetings and the family’s rites of passage at the Ïung Blai. The Ïung Blai is also the sanctum sanctorum of the entire family, particularly of those families belonging to that particular branch of the clan. From Sib syiñ or bam syieiñ/chat lane, the naming ceremony of a child, to i bia i khap or ka Lam ïutang, the marriage ceremony, and finally to ka niam ïap, the last rites of a person, all these ceremonies are performed at the Ïung Blai.
Ka Siang ka Pha, like ka Chyllap ka Chylliang and Ka Siang Thakur, are also clan activities and are offered only at the clan’s Ïung Blai or Kmai Ïung. Only Ka Siang Ïap, which forms part of the final rites of a deceased person, is offered at the cremation ground. Ka Siang Ïap is performed at the cremation ground, while ka phur ka leiñ is offered at the clan’s mootylleiñ before the charred bones are interred in the ossuary.
Composition of the Ïung Blai
There are no hard and fast rules concerning the number of families that may belong to a single Ïung Blai. There may be one or many families under one Ïung Blai/Kmai Ïung, as long as they belong to the same clan and are descended from a common grandmother.
Generally, a clan can have its own Ïung Blai, and the number of families, or ki trep ki skum, varies from one Ïung Blai to another. Normally, a Ïung Blai comprises families that trace their origin to the same great-great-grandmother, and all her descendants owe their allegiance to the Ïung Blai (Laloo Mina).
Perhaps the family system, with the Ïung Blai at the centre of the clan, also affirms that the traditional marriage system among the Pnar and the War of the Jaiñtia Hills follows the uxorilocal pattern. A marriage system also known as matrilocal is a marital custom in which a married couple resides with or near the bride’s family rather than the groom’s. The preferred household arrangement among the Pnar, with the Ïung Blai at the centre and ki trep ki skum (the houses of clan members) surrounding it, is a classic example of uxorilocal marriage. This practice serves multiple social and economic functions, including ensuring the continuity of the family lineage, providing agricultural labour, and maintaining the family’s economic stability. In the case of the Pnar of Jwai, it strengthens the matrilineal system and ensures that the tribe’s culture and traditions are maintained.
A clan can have many Ïung Blai, depending on the size of the clan. An Ïung Blai is not only a place where the rites of passage of the clan members are performed. It is also the place where the body of a deceased clan member is kept lying in state before being taken for cremation.
The only exception is in the case of people who die as a result of an accident or an unnatural death. The rites for such deaths are performed outside the Ïung Blai, and the body is not taken there to lie in state. Instead, the body is cremated without being taken to the clan’s house, and it is not cremated in the designated cremation ground.
Herein lies the crux of the matrilineal family system: just as a person’s life begins in the clan, it also ends in the clan. A person lives and dies within the clan. The mortal remains of the deceased also find their final resting place in the clan’s ossuary. The Ïung Blai perhaps best illustrates the essence of the matrilineal family system. It reminds us that a clan is not merely a title or surname that follows a person’s name, but a living institution that shapes one’s identity and relationship with both the living and the ancestors.
The Design of the Ïung Blai
The Ïung Blai is a very important institution in the Niamtre religion, and it cannot be constructed at the whims and fancies of the owner of the house. The people of Raid Jwai believe that the Ïung Blai/Kmai Ïung must be constructed according to the instructions of U Tre Kirot, and the first and most important instruction is that the house should face east. The Ïung Blai is always constructed according to the directives of U Tre Kirot, and each room has its own significance. According to these directives, a Ïung Blai should always have six rooms: (1) i Chloor, (2) i Kyndur, (3) i Tre Thlong, (4) i Rakut, (5) i Palat Kyndur, and (6) i Dahari (Lamar Dawmanchuh).
It is not that the number of rooms in the house should be restricted to six only. Rather, these six rooms are compulsory because each has its own significance and is connected with the life of the members of the clan. Without them, certain rites of passage and ceremonies cannot be performed.
The significance of each room is: I Rakut, or Ïung Chetja (the kitchen), is the room where ka Siang ka Pha is offered. Chloor is where the body of a deceased clan member lies in state during bereavement. Tre Thlong is where prayers and oblations are offered. It is also the room where U Biskurom, or U Blai Diñ, the Fire God, dwells.
Tre Thlong is also the room where ka duwan, the altar, and u chrot skit, the main pillar, are located. Above the wooden post are the ki buh tula, the sacred objects, and it is also where the ki weit ki stieh (swords and shields) are kept. The sacredness of u chrot skit is evident from the fact that only the kñi, the maternal uncle, may sit beside it. The maternal uncle occupies this position whenever he presides over clan meetings, performs rituals, or conducts other important ceremonies. Tre Thlong is also the room from which the sacred fire is taken for the final rites of a deceased family member. It is also the room where wedding ceremonies are performed.
According to D. Lamar, there is a difference between the Ïung Blai and the Kmai Ïung. The Ïung Blai is built according to the divine directives, and the rooms must be arranged accordingly. It should always face east, and there must also be a Sniriang Ksiar adjacent to it. A Kmai Ïung, however, does not necessarily have a Sniriang Ksiar, nor is it always built according to the divine directives. Despite these differences, all the necessary rituals and rites of passage of the family members can be performed in the Kmai Ïung.
There is a saying that home is where the heart is. In the Niamtre tradition, however, the Ïung Blai is much more than a home. It is the hearth that binds the clan together, providing warmth and light —the sacred space where the living honour their ancestors, perform rites of passage, and reaffirm their shared lineage. It is, in every sense, the sanctum sanctorum of the clan.
As Behdieñkhlam festival approaches, every Ïung Blai comes alive with preparations. The ancestral house once again becomes the centre of religious and social life, reminding every member of the clan of their common heritage, responsibilities, and enduring bond with their relatives and their ancestors.
