CULTURAL ROOTS OF ARUNACHAL
PRADESH
• MEANING ‘THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN’
• HAS 24 DISTRICTS WITH 26 MAJOR TRIBES INCLUDING VARIOUS SUB TRIBES.
• EQUALLY RICH AND DIVERSE IN CULTURAL AND ECOLOGICAL ASPECTS,
• THE WORLD REMAINED ELUSIVE TO THIS RICHNESS BECAUSE OF THE STATE’S
REMOTE LOCATION.
• AN EXPLORATION OF THE CULTURAL ROOTS OF ARUNACHAL PRADESH
THEREFORE, TAKES US ON A FASCINATING ANTHROPOLOGICAL JOURNEY.
MODERN HISTORY
BEFORE 1972 IT WAS KNOWN AS NORTH EASTERN FRONTIER AGENCY (NEFA)
UNDER THE ASSAM CONSTITUENCY. THE NAME ARUNACHAL PRADESH WAS
GIVEN BY SRI BIBHABASU DAS SHASTRI, THE THEN DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH
AND K.A.A. RAJA, THE THEN CHIEF COMMISSIONER OF ARUNACHAL PRADESH ON
20 JANUARY 1972. ON 20 FEBRUARY 1987, ARUNACHAL PRADESH BECAME A
STATE.
ANCIENT HISTORY
THE ANCIENT HISTORY OF ARUNACHAL PRADESH REMAINS UNCERTAIN, YET
MANY TRACES CAN BE MADE TO INDIAN HISTORY. IT IS OFTEN BELIEVED THAT
ARUNACHAL HAS AN ANCIENT CONNECTION WITH INDIA AND ITS MENTION CAN
BE FOUND IN THE MAHABHARATA AND THE KALIKA PURANA. SAGE PARSHURAMA
HAD WASHED OFF HIS SINS IN THE LOHIT DISTRICT, MAHARSHI VYASA HAD
MEDITATED HERE AND LORD KRISHNA IS SAID TO HAVE MARRIED RUKMINI FROM
HERE. THE SIXTH DALAI LAMA WAS BORN HERE IN TAWANG IN THE 17TH
CENTURY. THIS RICH AND DIVERSE BACKDROP MAKES ARUNACHAL PRADESH
ONE OF THE SIGNIFICANT PARTS OF INDIA’S UNIQUE HISTORY
CULTURE AND TRADITION
• HAVING LIVED IN CLOSE PROXIMITY WITH NATURE SINCE CENTURIES,
PEOPLE WERE DEPENDED ON MOTHER NATURE FOR EVERYTHING.
FROM TRADITIONAL HANDICRAFTS, FISHING AND HUNTING TOOLS ETC –
THE PEOPLE DEVELOPED MANY UNIQUE SKILLS OVER THE YEARS AND
EVEN TODAY MANY OF THESE SKILLS ARE PASSED DOWN.
• APONG (RICE/MILLET WINE) IS THE PROMINENT DRINK INDUCED BY THE
PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY IN FESTIVALS. PEOPLE USED TO DRINK IT TO
HONOR THE SPIRIT GUARDIANS.
DANCE
•
•
•
DANCE IS AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF THE PEOPLE’S HERITAGE AND TRADITIONAL DANCING
ALONG WITH PRIEST/PRIESTESS CHANTS, WAR DANCE AND RITUAL DANCE WITH BUDDHIST
CONNECTION ETC ARE MOSTLY PERFORMED BY MEN.
PONUNG/PONU IS PERFORMED IN GROUPS BY BOTH MEN AND WOMEN FOR THE
CELEBRATION OF JOYOUS AND FORTUNATE EVENTS IN THE FUTURE.
A RICH ORAL COLLECTION OF FOLKLORES AND CHANTS, USUALLY IN A BALLAD TONE, HAVE
BEEN PASSED DOWN FROM CENTURIES ABOUT THE HISTORICAL EVENTS, MYTHS, POWER OF
SPIRITS AND CALLING OF DEITIES.
DANCES IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH
Dance
Community
Lion and Peacock dance
Monpa
Aji Lamu
Monpa Tribe
Chalo Loku,
Nocte Tribe
Hiirii Khaniing
Apatani Tribe
Popir,
Adi Tribe
Ponung,
Adi
Pasi Kongki
Adi Tribe
Buiya
Digaru Mihmi Tribe
AJI LAMU
• AJI LAMU, A FOLK DANCE OF ARUNACHAL
PRADESH, ORIGINATED IN ANCIENT TIMES
AMONG THE PEOPLE OF THE MONAPA
TRIBE IS ONE OF THE FAMOUS CULTURAL
DANCES OF THE REGION.
•
IT IS PERFORMED BY MEMBERS OF MONPA
TRIBES. THEY PERFORM THEIR CULTURAL
DANCE OPERATING AS GROUP DANCES,
WITH ANIMAL MASKS, AND MANY PROPS
SUCH AS POLES, ETC.
LION AND PEACOCK DANCE
• LION AND PEACOCK DANCE IS A
FOLK DANCE FORM OF MONPAS, A TRIBE
OF ARUNACHAL PRADESH.
• IT DEPICTS STORIES OF ANIMALS AND
THE DANCERS IMITATE GAIT AND
MOVEMENTS OF THE ANIMALS. ... IT IS
PERFORMED BY THE MONPA TRIBE.
• IT DEPICTS THE STORIES OF ANIMAL
AND DANCERS WEAR MASKS
RESEMBLING COCK AND LION HEADS.
CHALO LOKU
•
•
THE NOCTES CELEBRATED THEIR FIRST
COMMON CHALO LOKU ON 25TH NOVEMBER
1968. IT WAS ORGANIZED BY SHRI WANGPHA
LOWANG, THE THEN CIRCLE OFFICER, SHRI
WANGKAP LOWANG, THEN POLITICAL
ASSISTANT WITH THE HELP OF FEW ‘KAKOTIS’.
THE FEST WAS ADORNED BY LATE K.A.A RAJA,
THEN SECURITY COMMISSIONER OF TEZPUR
AS THE CHIEF GUEST .
INITIALLY COMMON CHALO LOKU WAS TO BE
CELEBRATED ON 8TH OCTOBER HOWEVER
WAS FIXED ON 25TH NOVEMBER OWING TO
BAD WEATHER .
HIIRII KHANIING
THIS DANCE IS A FORM OF FOLK DANCE WHICH IS
ONE OF THE CULTURAL SHOWCASES OF THE
APATANI TRIBE. THE MENTIONED DANCE IS
USUALLY A GROUP DANCE WHERE MEN AND
WOMEN PARTICIPATE WITH EQUAL VIGOR. THIS
PARTICULAR DANCE FORM IS INSPIRED BY THE
DANCE PERFORMED BY BUDDHISTS IN THE
EARLIER TIMES. THE FOLK DANCE IS AIMED
TOWARDS COMPLETE MERRIMENT AND
SOCIALIZATION IN THE COMMUNITY BY THE
APATANI TRIBE IN A MAJOR WAY. ITS NOT JUST A
DANCE BUT A WAY WHICH WAS ALSO USED TO
DISSEMINATE A SOCIAL MESSAGE ON THE
SUCCESS OF GOODNESS OVER THE EVIL.
POPIR
THE GALO TRIBES WERE A GOD FEARING
SET OF PEOPLE AND BELIEVED THAT IF
GOD WAS WITH THEM NOBODY CAN BE
AGAINST THEM. THE POPIR DANCE HAS
ITS ORIGIN IN THAT BELIEF OF THE
GALOS. THE MOPIN FESTIVAL IS THE
HARVEST FESTIVAL OF ADI TRIBES. THEY
CELEBRATE THIS FESTIVAL AND THANK
GOD FOR THE HEARTY HARVEST TO
CONTINUE TO SHOWER HIS MERCY ON
THEM. THE MOPIN FESTIVAL IS ALSO
CELEBRATED TO DRIVE AWAY EVIL AND
BRING IN GOOD THINGS.
PONUNG
PONUNG DANCE IS POPULAR AND THE MOST
COMMON FOLK ART FORM. IT IS TRADITIONALLY
THE FOLK DANCE OF THE ADI COMMUNITY, WHO
ARE KNOWN FOR THEIR RICH CULTURAL WAY OF
LIVING. THE ADI VILLAGE AND ITS TRIBAL PEOPLE
HAVE GAINED POPULARITY DUE TO THIS VERY
PONUNG, WHICH IS QUITE A LIVELY DANCE
ACCOMPANIED BY MESMERIZING SONGS. IT IS
EXHIBITED DURING THE FESTIVAL THAT IS
CELEBRATED BEFORE HARVESTING. THIS DANCE
IS PERFORMED ON ALL IMPORTANT AND
AUSPICIOUS OCCASIONS. THE PERFORMANCE
DRAWS AN IMPRESSIVE NUMBER OF TOURISTS
FROM VARIOUS PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.
PASI KONGKI
IT IS A TRADITIONAL AND POPULAR FOLK DANCE
OF ADI TRIBES. IN THIS DANCE, THE SONG
NARRATES THE PICTURESQUE SOCIAL
ACTIVITIES OF THE PASI OF SIANG VALLEY. HERE
AABANG (SONG) NARRATES HOW THE PASI
USED TO MARCH ON FOOT FROM THEIR
HOMELAND TO THE PLAINS TO PROCURE IRON
ETC. FROM THE MARKET ,TRAVERSING
HAZARDOUS UP AND DOWN HILLS. AFTER
PROCURING IRON FROM THE PLAINS, THEY
USED TO BRING THEM TO PASI MIDE (PASI
SMITH) WHO IN TURN USED TO MANUFACTURE,
SHAPE AND SHARPEN PLENTY OF DAOS.
BUIYA
THE DIGARU MISHMIS HAVE TWO TYPES OF
DANCES CALLED BUIYA AND NUIYA. THE BUIYA
DANCE HAS TWO KINDS OF MOVEMENTS AND IS
PERFORMED FOR ENTERTAINMENT WHILE THE
NUIYA IS A RITUAL DANCE PERFORMED BY A
PRIEST. IT IS PERFORMED ON ANY FESTIVAL
OCCASION LIKE THE DUIYA, TAZAMPU, TANUYA
FESTIVALS. ALL SUCH DANCES ARE PERFORMED
FOR THE PROSPERITY AND GOOD HEALTH OF
THE PERFORMER AND HIS HOUSEHOLD. THE
DANCE IS ALSO PERFORMED AFTER A FEAST
THAT IS ARRANGED BY THE FAMILY TO
ENTERTAIN FELLOW VILLAGERS.
THANK YOU