ECO-SPIRITUALITY IN THE IDU MISHMI FUNERAL CUSTOM

Abstract

Geography and environment play a vital role in shaping the motifs and themes of the Idu Mishmi funeral narratives. The description of places, mountains, cliffs, valleys, rivers and gorges etc. with different species of animals, plants and spirits form the allegorical representation of the elements of nature. In the subjective component of the Idu Mishmi death ritual, nature’s shape, formations and objects not only become the driving force but also become essential parts of the culture. As a whole, nature and nature’s formations become the necessary components that determine the thought process and spiritual sustenance of the community. This dimension explores the community's attitudes to the environment are conditioned by their traditional beliefs that have played a crucial role in the conservation of the environment and organisms in their region so far. This paper looks at the Idu Mishmi Community's approach to the Environment as manifested in the funeral rite Ya and attempts to understand how this aspect has been a driving force in the conservation of ecology.