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About Me-Dam-Me-Phi

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About Me-Dam-Me-Phi

Me-Dam-Me-Phi is the day the Tai Ahom people of Assam honour their ancestors. It is kept every year on 31 January and is a holiday in Assam.

The name comes from the Tai language: me means offering, dam means the ancestors and phi means the gods. Families offer prayers and food to the departed, and to the gods of the sky and the land, asking for their blessings.

Ahom priests lead the prayers, and homes and community halls offer rice, fish, meat, fruit and rice beer. The biggest public prayers are held near the old Ahom capital of Charaideo and in Sivasagar, Dibrugarh and Jorhat.

The day is calm and grateful rather than loud. It reminds families of their roots, the Ahom kingdom that ruled Assam for about six hundred years, and the duty to keep its memory alive.

How people celebrate Me-Dam-Me-Phi

  • Prayers and offerings to the ancestors
  • Prayers led by Ahom priests
  • Offerings of rice, fish, fruit and rice beer
  • Public prayers at Charaideo
  • Cultural programmes in Sivasagar and Dibrugarh

How to wish well

  • Wish on 31 January with calm, respectful words.
  • Wishes about roots, ancestors, blessings and family suit the day; leave out jokes.
  • "Me-Dam-Me-Phi-r shubhechha" in Assamese is a warm greeting.

Questions about Me-Dam-Me-Phi

When is Me-Dam-Me-Phi?

Me-Dam-Me-Phi is observed on 31 January every year.

What does Me-Dam-Me-Phi mean?

In the Tai language, me means offering, dam means the ancestors and phi means the gods. It is the day of offerings to the ancestors.

Who observes Me-Dam-Me-Phi?

The Tai Ahom people of Assam, mainly in Sivasagar, Charaideo, Dibrugarh, Jorhat and nearby districts.

Is Me-Dam-Me-Phi a holiday in Assam?

Yes, 31 January is a state holiday in Assam.

How is Me-Dam-Me-Phi observed?

With prayers led by Ahom priests and offerings of food and rice beer to the ancestors and the gods, at home and at public prayer grounds.

What do you say on Me-Dam-Me-Phi?

Wish people peace and the blessings of their ancestors, or say "Happy Me-Dam-Me-Phi".

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