Mizo Hlaa Pialral Zir Chianna

Abstract

This paper examines the use of the term Pialral in contemporary Mizo songs, particularly in contemporary love songs. It explores how modern song composers frequently employ the term in ways that differ from its traditional meaning within the beliefs of Mizo ancestors as well as from Christian perspectives on life after death. The study highlights the contrast between the original cultural and religious understanding of Pialral and its modern representation in songs. Furthermore, the paper argues that many composers use the term as a form of wish fulfillment, expressing personal desires and imagined reunions through music and use their songs as symbolic expressions of wish fulfillment, projecting into the lyrics the desires and aspirations that remain unattained in reality.