The festival of Pawl Kut is a harvest festival of Mizoram that is celebrated with great joy, merriment and activities. The localites enjoy music, dance, ballet and many other forms of entertainment during the time of Festival. More than a festival it is a fiesta that is celebrated with extensive fanfare. It lasts for about two days with both men and women dancing in joy of good harvest.

According to the historical evidences the Mizos in earlier times used to live in the eastern part of the Tiau River. The river flows in the Chin hills which are now located on the Burma border. As history suggests the Mizos once faced great challenge as there was no rain for three consecutive years and the harvest was falling extremely short. The localites then prayed to God for some relief and in that year they were gifted with plenty rains with the harvest production being successful. Not only was the harvest good but also the crops were in bumper.

The people of Mizoram rejoiced that year with the harvest being in plenty. Since then every year the Mizos celebrate this festival to please God and thank him for bestowing his blessings for a good harvest. This happened to be the beginning of the Pawl Cut festival, which till date is celebrated with great fun and frolic.

Celebration:

The harvest festival of Pawl Kut is celebrated with great fanfare in Mizoram. People organize dance, music, ballet and other activities. They thank God for bestowing his blessings on the harvest this season. The best and most attractive part of the festival is the extensive and elaborate meal prepared especially for the occasion. The meal comprises of meat and eggs.

Before the carnival begins, a day is especially appointed on which, men depart for hunting expeditions and fishing trips. According to the capacity of each individual elaborate and enough quantity of meat is prepared. Even the poor are supposed to hunt at least a fowl for his family.

While the men engage in hunting, women engage themselves in preparing mouth watering meals. The preparation normally includes rice, meat and boiled eggs. Food and fiests are a very important part of the entire celebration. Not only making good dishes is a tradition there is also a custom of sharing the food with friends, family and donating to poor. This is also attended extensively by the younger members of the family. In the fiesta the man and women rejoice in Zu drinking, that generally occurs in the household of a rich person.

Time of Celebration:

The festival of Pawl Kut is celebrated in the month of December, which is just before occurrence of spring.