Dr. Laltluangliana Khiangte, professor in the Department of Mizo at Mizoram University, presentation described various folk performances, including the ones that reveal the Mizo belief in life after death. The spiritual world was believed to have two compartments, called Pialral or heaven, where only those who earned the Thangchhuah, the coveted title given to distinguished citizens during their life-time, could enter without any trouble on the way. An aspirant for the honour of the Thangchhuah title had to give to the public a series of seven to eight special feasts, which involves considerable expense. It might take almost one’s entire life-time to complete the whole series, and hence, not many people could afford it.

The alternative way of earning the coveted title was to kill the following wild animals; elephant, bear, wild bison, stag, barking deer, and wild boar. After killing each of the prescribed animals, a sort of thanksgiving ceremony or ‘Ai’ had to be performed; this again involved the killing of certain domestic animals. Showing the videos of different forms of chanting, performances, and rituals related to specific occasions, he stressed that, in order to understand the orality and transformations in culture, it is important to showcase and preserve such performances.