The Feast of Merit restaurant at Richmond, Melbourne. The restaurant, Feast of Merit, in Melbourne, has been inspired by a Naga tradition dating back to pre-Christian culture of the Naga people. V Phesao’s traditional house of Merit at Naga United Village in Dimapur district V Phesao’s traditional house of Merit at Naga United Village in Dimapur districtAlthough the series of the feasting and norms associated with the occasion differed from tribe to tribe, most of the Naga tribes attached great importance to the Feast of Merit. The idea behind the Christmas feast though, as Phesao acknowledged, was similar to the Feast of Merit. Recalling the feast organised by his father, the artist narrated an anecdote: “Our village pastor offered Christmas feast on December 25 1963 and my father organised the traditional Feast of Merit in January 1964.

Source: Indian Express April 13, 2018 11:26 UTC