Jarai’s rituals restored at Gong festival

The Jarai ethnic minority group ceremony to welcome the harvest was restored as a key event for the International Gong Festival in Gia Lai, held from November 12-15.
For the Jarai, the ceremony to welcome the new crop is organized annually. The family of Ro cham Homut, the leader of the gong troupe of Mrong Yo village, hosted the 2009 rituals.
His family prepared chickens and a pig to donate to the genie. Mrong Yo villagers contributed wine and a big pig for the rituals. The pig was slaughtered in offering to the deity before locals and visitors. The whole village joined in to prepare the offerings.
The key rituals took place inside Homut’s house and the village communal house. Visitors stood outside to observe the rituals.
After the ceremony, villagers performed gong, xoang singing and played folk games.