Shyamhari Chakra
With the commencement of celebration of the immensely popular Solung festival on Tuesday, Arunachal Pradesh, the land of the rising sun – India’s frontier state on China border – is in a festive mood.
The five-day festival is the most important annual celebration of the Adi tribe that is native to Arunachal Pradesh and Tibet. It attracts tourists from far and wide as the tribe is seen only in this Indian state.
Solung is usually celebrated in the month of August or September as per the age-old calendar of the indigenous people. Hence, the dates are never fixed.
It is being observed this year from September 1 to 5.
An agro-based festival, Solung is celebrated following sowing of seeds to seek good harvest. People offer their prayer to Kine Nane, the Goddess of crops and prosperity, through the festival.
They also worshop Dadi Bote, the God of animal kingdom and Doying Bote, the God of wisdom through the rituals of the festival.
The five-day festival has three components. It starts with Sopi Yekpi, the first part on the inaugural day with sacrifice of pigs as an offer to the god of animal kingdom followed by the second part as ritual offerings for the goddess of crops and concluding with the third and final part of the ritual for protection against harms by evil spirits.
The last day of the festival witnessed display of the tribe’s indigenous weaponry along the passage of the houses. The people believe that they would be protected this way from evil spirits.
The principal attraction of Solung festival has been the Ponung dance performances presented exclusively by the women of the tribe.
