Ziro celebrates the festival of friendship in March every year
The Myoko Festival is an annual celebration in
Ziro valley,
Arunachal Pradesh. It is celebrated on a rotational basis by three different tribes namely Diibo-Hija, Hari-Bulla and Hong of the
Apatani plateau and is a 10-day celebration; it begins on
March 20 and ends on March 30 every year. People believe that it is this festival that extends and strengthens the bond of the family members, blesses individual with fertility and fortune.
Rituals of Myoko festival
- The most revered member of the community who is named as the Shaman puts on ancient Apatani garments.
- They slaughter chickens and pigs as a custom of this festival. This putting to death procedure commences at early morning on an ordinal day. The Shamans recite long prayers and the ladies, principally married ones, sprinkle flour and rice beer on collected pigs which are tied and held on bamboo poles.
Man practicing rituals, Courtesy: Flickr
- The Myoko festival is an instance to renew and revive previous and new friendships and offerings are made to present before Donyi Polo (the divinity adored by the Apatanis) for a prosperous year ahead.
- This is the time of the year when the Apatanis also pray to ensure better cultivation, protection of the grains from the elements, and the well-being of villagers and livestock.
Man dancing in the myoko festival is celebrated every year Courtesy-AllEvents.in
The Apatani tribe is known for their distinctive facial
tattoos and wooden nose plugs, as well as that of the Mishing weaver tribe of Majuli.
Why attend the Myoko Festival?
- Considered to be a festival of purification and sacrifice, the Myoko Festival gives a noteworthy insight into the lives of the tribes of Arunachal Pradesh.
- The festival is home to a number of the most distinctive rituals that one needs to see to believe! The members of the community worship natural forces and non-living objects over the course of the festival as they believe that these are the objects that virtue the universe!
Accessories of Apatani Tribe
- Visit the tea gardens of Assam and experience what life was like within the colonial days by staying in an exceeding heritage bungalow.
- Discover the peaceful sect of Vaishnavism in Majuli, one in every of the world's largest stream islands, and return in time as you visit its monasteries.
- Experience a tea planter's life. Indulge in some delicious food and home-made rice beers.
- The festival of positivity and merry-making also celebrates the idea of community living to such an extent that all houses in the region are kept open 24/7 during the festival and anyone can get in to fancy a meal with a glass of rice beer.
- Apart from eating and prayers, there are several stage shows, sports events, singing competitions etc. that happen at the Myoko festival.
No tickets are there to the Myoko Festival and anyone can become a section of the festivities freed from cost! In recent years, the Government of Arunachal Pradesh has obsessed efforts to market tourism business in the state by varied means including the regional festivals. The Myoko festival, thus, has become a crowd puller. The tribe has also played a proactive role in promoting homestay accommodation for tourists at Ziro valley.
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