Northeast India, or the seven sisters, as people like to call it, is a part of India that’s very different and diverse. Here, every twist in the road and bend in the river could lead to distinct tribes, dialects, and, of course, festivals! This enchanting part of India, swaddled by the majestic Himalayas in the north and the lush plains of the Brahmaputra, is a great place to be if you want to observe ethnic festivals, and that’s exactly what we’ll show you in this article; the most vibrant festivals of Northeast India.
Overview of Northeast India
Serving as the easternmost frontier of India, Northeast India is nothing short of an enchanting enigma. The seven sister states – Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura, Manipur, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, and their sibling Sikkim- are usually left out of most tourists’ itinerary, and hopefully, this article can change that at least a little. From the world’s wettest place, Cherrapunji, to the world’s largest river island, Majuli, geographical superlatives are seemingly the norm here, and this is just to name a couple.
The real charm of Northeast India lies in its cultural quilt, sewn with threads of numerous tribes and communities, each adding their unique patterns. Over 200 ethnic groups converse in about 400 languages! But guess what? They all speak the universal language of warmth and hospitality.
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Festivals Of Sikkim
We’re starting this list of the best festivals of Northeast India, you should consider attending with a few of Sikkim’s most vibrant displays of culture and traditions…
Losoong: The Sikkimese New Year
Every culture has its own way of ringing in the New Year, and for the folks in Sikkim, it’s all about colorful clothes and vibrant dances. Losoong is observed by the Bhutia tribe in December. Unlike most of the world, which relies on fireworks to bid adieu to the old year, Sikkimese folks like to perform the Chaam instead (it’s their traditional masked dance that plays out the epic victory of good over evil).
Saga Dawa: The Triple Blessed Festival
Saga Dawa is one of the most spiritual soirees of Sikkim dedicated to the three seminal events of Buddha’s life- birth, enlightenment, and attainment of Nirvana (because of this, the festival is also known as the ‘Triple Blessed Festival’). This sacred festival takes place during the fourth lunar month as per the Tibetan calendar, which usually falls in May or June.
Phang Lhabsol- A Celebration Of The Guardian Deity
This unique festival is Sikkim’s way of paying homage to the mighty Mount Khangchendzonga, considered the guardian deity of the region. The festival is all about staying in touch with nature and keeping a bond so strong, it transcends into the realm of the divine. The festival usually takes place between July and August and also features a masked dance known as “Chaam” that culminates with the appearance of the ‘Pazom’ (a deity).
Festivals Of Assam
This list of the best festivals of Northeast India wouldn’t be complete without at least mentioning a few of Assam’s most famous religious festivals.
Bihu: The Assamese New Year
Marking the Assamese New Year, Bihu happens not once, not twice, but thrice a year, each ceremony synced with the agricultural cycle. Arguably the most famous of the three is Rongali Bihu or Bohag Bihu, which heralds the arrival of spring (mid-April). It’s a carnival of colors, music, Bihu dance (where young men and women engage in playful banter through their dance moves and songs), and food.
Ambubachi Mela: The Fertility Festival
This festival takes place at the historic Kamakhya Temple which pays homage to the Earth’s fertility and the divine feminine, symbolized by the Goddess Kamakhya. In its essence, it’s a fertility festival that takes place during the monsoon season, typically in June, marking what is believed to be the menstruation period of Goddess Kamakhya. During this time, the temple remains closed for three days, symbolizing the natural cycle of the Earth’s fertility.
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Jonbeel Mela- The Moon Wetlands Festival
The Jonbeel Mela is another vibrant festival that takes place in January and gets its name from the moon-shaped (‘Jon’ means moon and ‘Beel’ means wetland) water body near which the festival takes place. It’s perhaps the only fair in India where people still exchange goods, just as they did centuries ago without any currency or gold exchanging hands, just good, old-fashioned barter.
Festivals of Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh is the easternmost state of the country, one of India’s most isolated regions, and the least densely populated state. It’s also home to many tribes, each with their own customs and traditions, and some of the most interesting festivals of Northeast India.
Losar: The New Year Festival
Losar is the Tibetan New Year and festive medley of culture, taking place in December or January (depending on the year). The festival actually predates the arrival of Buddhism in Tibet and has its roots in a winter incense-burning custom of the Bon religion. In Arunachal Pradesh, Losar is celebrated for 15 days but the main celebrations take place in the first 3 days.
Solung: The Agricultural Festival
Solung is an agricultural festival celebrated by the Adi tribe in the first week of September, heralding the onset of the agricultural season and the monsoon’s bounty. The festival starts with the Solung Gidi Dogin, a day of thorough house cleaning and preparation of Apong, a local rice beer. On the main day, known as Doreph-Long (the day of animal sacrifice), offerings are made to the goddess of crops, Kine Nane, and Doying Bote, the god of wisdom and welfare.
Reh Festival (Idu Mishmi Tribe)
Reh Festival, typically celebrated in February, is the Idu Mishmi’s way of paying homage to their supreme deity, ‘Nanyi Inyitaya’. It’s a six-day celebration, brimming with rituals, prayers, community feasting, music, and tribal dances, The preparations begin much in advance, with the construction of a special ‘Reh Kutcha’ hut made from bamboo and wood that serves as the venue for the rituals, and when done, the festival is ready to begin with the priest (the Igu), performing intricate rituals to invoke the divine.
Festivals of Nagaland
Similar to neighboring Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland is known for being home to more than 60 different tribes who all speak different languages, have different cultures, and organize some of the most vibrant festivals in Northeast India.
Hornbill Festival: The Festival of Festivals
Named after the Indian Hornbill bird revered in Naga folklore for its significance in social and religious customs, the festival takes place in December at the Naga Heritage Village in Kisama. The festival features Naga warriors in their traditional attire with painted faces, performing the vigorous war dance. Tribal huts, known as Morungs, exhibit tribal artifacts, and women weave intricate Naga shawls. There’s also fun contests like the Naga chilli eating competition, traditional archery, wrestling, and a motor rally.
Moatsu: The Harvest Festival
Typically celebrated in the first week of May, the Moatsu Festival marks the completion of the sowing season. It’s a way for the Ao tribe to take a break after months of hard work on the fields. The highlight of the festival is the Sangpangtu ceremony, where men and women, adorned in their finest traditional garments, gather around a grand bonfire to drink, sing, and dance.
Sekrenyi Festival (Angami Tribe)
Celebrated typically in February, Sekrenyi is a 10-day festival that marks the advent of the agricultural season. The festival begins with a series of purification rituals known as ‘Kizie’, where the village’s youth starts the ceremony by fetching water from the holy well prepared specially for the occasion to wash away impurities and protect against misfortunes. Following this is the ‘Dzuseva’ – a day of introspection and rest, where the villagers refrain from venturing outside or engaging in any laborious activities.
Festivals of Manipur
Manipur is known across the northeast for its vibrant folklore and music dances, so it should come as a surprise to no one that there are a few festivals from Manipur that we decided to include in this list of the best festivals of Northeast India.
Yaoshang: The Holi of Manipur
Yaoshang in its essence, is the Manipuri version of Holi. It typically takes place in March and lasts for five days. The festival begins with the burning of a thatched hut, symbolizing the victory of good over evil. The next day, the town bursts into a riot of colors, singing, dancing, and lots of ‘pichkaris’ squirting colored water but one of the most unique aspects of Yaoshang is the ‘Thabal Chongba’ – a traditional moonlight dance where young boys and girls, holding hands, dance in circles to the rhythm of folk music.
Kut: The Harvest Festival
Kut Festival, also known as Chavang Kut, is another variation of a harvest festival (they sure love these in Northeast India). This one is celebrated after the harvest in November, at the end of a cycle of toil and at the beginning of a season of plenty. The festival begins with a grand feast, and what follows is a vibrant carnival of traditional dances (the Cheraw or bamboo dance, performed by groups of young women, and the warrior dance, performed by men in their traditional attire) and music.
Lai Haraoba- Celebration Of Local Deities
Lai Haraoba, literally translating to ‘merriment of the gods’, is typically celebrated in May and features a lot of Maibi dancers in traditional attire, gracefully narrating the cosmic dance of creation, with the soulful rhythm of the Pena (a traditional string instrument). But Lai Haraoba isn’t just about this dance; there are also boat races, traditional games, and Khongjom Parba (a form of ballad singing) performances.
Festivals Of Mizoram
Known primarily for its lush greenery, vibrant hill stations, and scenic national parks, Mizoram also has a rich culture and hosts some of the most interesting festivals of Northeast India, including…
Mim Kut: The Maize Festival
The Mim Kut festival is a joyous thanksgiving for the maize harvest and a testament to the rich cultural heritage of the Mizo people. The festival begins with an offering of the first maize harvest to the spirits of the deceased, and as the sun dips below the horizon, people light up lamps to illuminate the graves of the departed. Once the offerings are made and the mourning is over, the traditional music starts, and people begin their traditional dance, the Cheraw (bamboo dance) and Solakia (war dance).
Chapchar Kut: The Bamboo Harvest Festival
Chapchar Kut is celebrated in March, following the difficult task of Jhum (shifting cultivation) where trees and bushes in the hilly terrains are cleared and burnt for new plantations. The festival commences with the beats of traditional drums and gongs resonating in the air, after which, clad in vibrant traditional attire, participants engage in an array of folk dances, creating an entrancing spectacle that embodies the spirit of the festival.
Festivals of Tripura
Tripura is a state famous for its tea plantations, bamboo products, handicrafts, and impressive traditional wood carvings, and even though this part is not mentioned very often, some of the most fascinating festivals of Northeast India.
Kharchi Puja: The Worship Of the Dynasty Deities
Celebrated in July, Kharchi Puja involves the worship of the ‘Chaturdash Devta’ or ‘Fourteen Gods’. The festival brings together tribal and non-tribal communities at a week-long fair, that features cultural performances, traditional games, and a lot of food. The music, ranging from the soulful tunes of ‘Hojagiri’ to the lively beats of ‘Bizu’, fills the air with a captivating charm and brings together different tribes like the Tripuris, Jamatia, Noatia, and others, participating with equal fervor.
Goria Puja: The Chariot Festival
More than just a tribal event, Goria Puja is a celebration of agriculture and a tribute to the deity Goria. Goria Puja, or the ‘Swing Festival’, is celebrated in April, marking the beginning of the agricultural year and it’s a lively social affair that begins with the construction of a ‘Chowmohani’, or central structure, around which the festivities revolve…
Poush Sankranti- Celebration Of The Transition Of The Sun
Bringing a wave of warmth in the chilly heart of winter, Poush Sankranti is an important celebration in the Bengali calendar. It’s an end-of-harvest festival, but also a farewell to the month of Poush (the ninth month of the Bengali calendar, usually falling in January), marking the transition of the sun into the zodiac sign of Capricorn (Makara) and the arrival of longer days. Food, particularly sweets, plays a central role in this festival. The air is scented with the aroma of ‘Pithe’ and ‘Puli’, traditional sweets made from date palm jaggery, rice flour, and coconut.
Festivals of Meghalaya
Last but not least, we round up this list of the best festivals of Northeast India with a few additions to our list from the state of Meghalaya, famous for its beautiful mountains and for being one of the richest biodiversity areas in India.
Wangala: The Harvest Festival
Wangala, also known as the ‘Hundred Drums Festival’, is celebrated in November to mark the end of the annual agricultural cycle. The best part? This festival actually delivers on its name (and more) with more than a hundred drums beating, accompanied by the enchanting melody of flutes and duitaras (Meghalayan guitar-like instruments with four wires), and hundreds of people dressed in colorful attire participating in their traditional dances…
Behdienkhlam: The Monsoon Festival
Behdienkhlam is a spiritual carnival that celebrates the monsoon season. It takes place in July, and its name translates to ‘chasing away the plague’; the purpose being to invoke divine protection against diseases through a colorful melee of dance, sports competitions, and good old communal revelry.
Nongkrem Dance Festival
Last but not least, we finish this list of the best festivals of Northeast India with the Nongkrem Dance Festival, also known as Ka Pomblang Nongkrem, that takes place in November. It’s a five-day-long jubilation of the Khasi tribe with the highlight being the famous ‘Nongkrem Dance’ after which the festival is named, where young girls, adorned in gold and silver jewelry with vibrant silk skirts, and men, clad in traditional attire with ornamental feathers, dance in concentric circles to traditional music.
Did you ever hear about any of these festivals of Northeast India? Did you have the chance to attend one of them? Do you know of more such festivals we forgot to include on our list? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.
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