MULUGU: Tribal Welfare Minister Adluri Laxman Kumar on Monday evening witnessed the world-famous New Zealand Haka Echoes during the historic Indo-Pacific Tribal Exchange dance performance held at Medaram.
For the first time in history, with the initiative of Laxman Kumar and Tourism Minister Jupally Krishna Rao, a Maori Kapa Haka delegation from New Zealand visited Medaram, offered prayers to the tribal deities Sammakka-Saralamma, and performed the powerful and sacred ‘Haka’.
The unforgettable performance symbolised the significance of ancient democracies and indigenous cultures. Panchayat Raj Minister Danasari Anasuya, alias Seethakka, also joined the Haka Echoes delegation and participated in the dance.
Haka is a traditional Maori ceremonial performance — a rhythmic and powerful chant combined with expressive movements that conveys identity, unity and deep cultural heritage. It is performed on occasions of welcome, farewell, battle, celebration and protest, and is considered a living embodiment of the Maori spirit.
The visiting performers belong to the renowned Kapa Haka group Te Pikikotuku o Ngati Rongomai, representing the Ngati Rongomai iwi (tribe) of the Te Arawa confederation in New Zealand. Through haka, they honour their ancestors and reaffirm their bond with land, language and community — values that closely resonate with India’s tribal ethos.