Mayfung
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Mayfung, Meyfung or Mayfang (Balti: མཡ་ཕུང།, romanized: May Phung, lit. 'Playing with Fire'; Urdu: جَشنے میفنْگ, romanized: Jashn-e-Mayfung) is a centuries-old festival celebrated in the Baltiyul region of northeastern Pakistan by the Balti Tibetan people.[1] Its origins can be traced back to the Bön religion, which was the dominant religion in the region prior to Buddhism and Islam.[2] Every year on December 21, the Mayfung festival is held to commemorate the end of the longest night of the year and the start of the new year called "Balti Losar" (Balti: བལྟི་ལོ་གྶར།, romanized: Balti lo-gsar, lit. 'Balti New Year').[3] Mayfung is traditionally celebrated all over Baltistan but also in some parts of Gilgit, Hunza, Chitral and Tibet in China.[2][1]
| Mayfung མཡ་ཕུང། | |
|---|---|
| File:Mayfung Festival.jpg | |
| Official name | Jashn-e-Mayfung Tibetan: ཇཤྣེ་མཡཕང། Nastaliq: جَشنے میفنگ |
| Observed by | Balti Tibetans |
| Type | Religious, cultural, spring festival, New Year |
| Significance | According to the people celebration of the festival spared them from misfortunes and evil spirits. They believe that fires defend against misfortunes and protect them from natural disasters.[4] |
| Celebrations | Night before ((Balti Losar)), flying lanterns, playing with fire, dancing, Fire dance, sword dance, singing, greetings, festival delicacies, bonfire, fireworks.[5] |
| Date | 21 December |
| Next time | 21 December 2024 |
| Frequency | Annually |
| Related to | Losar |
According to the people the celebration of this festival spares them from misfortunes. They believe that fire defends them against misfortunes and protects them from natural disasters.[6]
Etymology
The word MayFung or Maphang is derived from two words in Balti language May (མཡ།) means, fire and Fang or Phang (ཕང།) means, to throw or to play. So Mayfung literally translates to, to play with fire or to throw fireballs in the sky.[7] Mayfung is known also known as Thumushaling (تھُموشَلِنّگ) in Burushaski and Loma (لوْما) in Shina.[8]
Origin
Balti culture combines Bonism, Islam and Buddhism influences, Bonism was a pre-Buddhist shamanistic religion of Tibet that involved spirit worship as well as sacrifice, magic, and divination and was the dominant religion in the region prior to Buddhism and Islam.[2] The Bon-period festival of Mayfung was still observed during the Buddhist era in order to appease the gods and purge the ills from society. According to legends, individuals can set evils on fire by igniting or creating a large fire. The Mayfung Festival is an important part of the Losar festival (also known as the Balti New Year) and takes place in Baltistan, Pakistan on December 21.[2] Some people think that the festival was first celebrated during the Maqpon dynasty, who came to power in the area in the 12th century and ruled for almost 700 years. Some individuals link the festival to Raja Abdal Khan, the brutal, man-eating Maqpon monarch of the 17th century.[1]
Practice
During this event, people set bonfire on mountains, plains, and house rooftops, especially young children and teenagers. Children frolic and dance while waving a bundle of flaming logs and singing traditional songs about the celebration. They scatter the residual fire in mountain slopes and ditches after lighting or Mayfung. Women make special delicacies.[1] Fireworks, music, dancing, flying lanterns, and festival foods are all part of the celebration. Folk dances like the sword dance and fire dance are performed as the celebration comes to a close with a traditional musical performance. In an open ground or field where the fire is lighted, people dance and fly lanterns into the sky. The May Fang, according to popular belief, is required to keep the spirits and Jinns away from people.[2]
Kopolo
Kopolo (Balti: ཀོ་པོལོ།) is one of the oldest games in this region and is played during various events including Mayfung. The word Kopolo is derived from Koa, meaning "leather" in Balti language, so Kopolo literally translates to "game of leather ball". During the Mayfung festival Kopolo game is organised at a regional level.[9][10]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d "In Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan, centuries-old 'May Fung' new year festival returns". Arab News PK. 2021-12-24. Retrieved 2023-02-19.
- ^ a b c d e "Centuries-old Mayfung festival kept alive in Baltistan". The High Asia Herald. 2018-12-29. Retrieved 2023-02-19.
- ^ Correspondent, The Newspaper's (2020-12-22). "Baltistan people celebrate winter festival". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2023-02-19.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ "Baltistan people celebrate winter festival". Dawn News. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
- ^ "May Fung / May Fang Festival in Skardu Baltistan Pakistan". Trango Tours. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
- ^ Desk, Web. ""Mayfung" festival of lights and fire is underway across Baltistan - SUCH TV". www.suchtv.pk. Retrieved 2023-02-19.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ Travel, Trango. "May Fung / May Fang Festival in Skardu Baltistan Pakistan". Trango Tours. Retrieved 2023-02-19.
- ^ Farooqi, Musharraf Ali (2014-08-16). "The cannibal king". mint. Retrieved 2023-02-19.
- ^ "Skardu: Amazing photographs of "Ko-Polo" game". PAMIR TIMES. 2016-01-24. Retrieved 2023-02-19.
- ^ Travel, Trango. "Ko Polo Game in Skardu Gilgit-Baltistan Pakistan". Trango Tours. Retrieved 2023-02-19.