Pârsem Kût

Parsem Kut (literallly: Flower Offering Festival) is a festival of Khelma (Sakachep) community dedicated to youth. It is celebrated annually on April 11th. Each year during this day village elders bless the youth wishing them a healthy and prosperous year. On this special blessing day, the male youth offer flowers to the girls, expressing their respect and care towards them, making it a way to strengthen the bond among the youth.
Cultural ceremonies
Ochai prayer
The "Ochai" (Priest) begins the day by praying to their god "TARPA" for the well being of the entire village. This prayer includes a ceremony of sacrifice of hen and rice beer to their god. The sacrificial ground is called Doithojol or Boljol in Khelma language. Soon after the prayer, the Ochai marches to Parsem Kut Tunkung (the house of celebration) where youth boys gather to be served the rice beer which is sprinkled by Ochai to make it holy and bring blessing to the youth who drink it.
Flower offering
After getting permission from the village priest the youth boys then march out in the jungle for searching the flowers which they would offer to the young girls. But there are certain ways of plucking the flowers, without which the young boys are penalised with certain punishment. The boys cannot cut down the trees from which they pluck flowers nor they can cut down the branches of the flowers. If they do so, either their shirt or turban shall be taken away as a penalty by both the village elders, and the young girls.
In order to get his belongings back he has to offer them a rice beer. So, the boys must climb the trees and pluck the flowers with great care from the trees. There is also a particular way of bringing the collection of the flowers, the boy will have to bring the flowers into the Partolai (Casket) until they reach the Suangkung (Traditional gate) where they will have to leave the pârtolai and replace the flowers into a Tabong (Basket) and bring them to Parsem Kut Tunkung (celebration house) with great care. The boys then march out taking flowers to be serving in each house where young girls are present.
Teenage girls
On this day the teenage girls are accepted into adulthood by the offering of these flowers. Even a newly married woman can be offered flowers for two years from the day of her marriage, but after two years of marriage she has to perform a certain ritual, called "RUOLMÂK"," on this day which means leaving the life of the youth, or "LEAVING HER FRIEND". During this ritual, she offers rice beer to her friends on this day, after which she will no longer be considered one of the youth.
In every house the parents will keep a Lukham (Wooden seat) near the door inside the house, and the boys will not offer the flowers in the hand of the girls but will put it 3 (three) flowers for each girl, in case there are three girls in the same house then the parents will have to place 3 Lukham for each girl. The girls then proceed towards the Parsem Kut Tunkung (celebration house) with the flowers tucked behind each ear and one on their hairs. But if by any chance she drops even one of them she will be penalized by the boys, either by taking of their belt or their necklace as a token of fine and in order to get back her belonging she has to offer rice beer to them.
After dawn
After dawn of the Pârsem Kût the celebration is wound up by singing and dancing which includes "KA CHIN ALA" (Ka chin song). This song is sung in groups which consist of 3 main sub-groups; these are:- 1. Siarsep i.e. Youth 2. Minmangngei i.e. married man 3. Tarpui i.e. old man. The three selected group will sing this same Ka Chin song one after the other and be judged by the other two groups. If mistakes are found during the song routine then the group is fined to offer rice beer to other groups.

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