The Tikhir are a

Naga Naga or NAGA may refer to: Mythology * Nāga, a serpentine deity or race in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain traditions * Naga Kingdom, in the epic ''Mahabharata'' * Phaya Naga, mythical creatures believed to live in the Laotian stretch of the Mekong Riv ...

tribe from

Nagaland Nagaland () is a landlocked state in the northeastern region of India. It is bordered by the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh to the north, Assam to the west, Manipur to the south and the Sagaing Region of Myanmar to the east. Its capital cit ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. They are listed as a

Scheduled Tribe The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are officially designated groups of people and among the most disadvantaged socio-economic groups in India. The terms are recognized in the Constitution of India and the groups are designa ...

, in the official Census of India. The word "Tikhir" means "Dew People", meaning they were the first settlers of the place as they brush up the dewdrops.

Recognition

Tikhir tribe was officially recognized as a separate tribe of Nagaland on 20 January 2022 by the Government of Nagaland.

Festival

They celebrate "TSONGLAKNYI" festival, which is observed from 9–12 October every year. The word 'tsonglaknyi' is made up of two words: "Tsong" means Shield and "lak" means sanctification. Tsonglaknyi basically is a festival of the sanctification of Shield. It also means sanctification of the weapons along with their wealth and valuable assets, as well as the purification of the men folk before going out for head hunting (earlier days). In short, it is a festival of purification. This festival is one of the most important among the Tikhir festivals celebrated, stretching for four days.

Population

According to the 2011 census, the population of the Tikhir tribe in Nagaland was 7,537.

References

{{Hill tribes of Northeast India Scheduled Tribes of Nagaland Naga people Ethnic groups in Northeast India