Themes
tribal dance
Popir Dance Attire, arunachal pradesh
Popir Dance is the focal celebration of the Galo tribe in Arunachal Pradesh during the Mopin festival, performed to worship Mopin Ane, the Galo prosperity goddess. Conducted on April 5, Popir is a prayer for a fruitful farming cycle and warding off adversity. This dance, done with happiness and devotion, captures the Galo people's profound faith and practices, bringing them together in worship and celebration while creating social ties and maintaining their cultural heritage generation after generation.
The Galo tribe, native to Arunachal Pradesh, shares a close bond with nature and spirituality. They are best recognized for their colorful Mopin festival, where they conduct the Popir dance as an offering to Mopin Ane in order to receive blessings for prosperity and safety. Their culture is a mix of worship and celebration, with high levels of community participation. The Galo people worship Donyi Polo (Sun-Moon) as a central deity and practice special traditions that have been nurtured over generations and represent their sacredness for nature and their common heritage.
During the Popir Dance, the Galo women adorn themselves in white blouses with elegant lines and wrap skirts with beautiful red or maroon embroidery and a waistband decorated with coins and bamboo tufts. They have a long white scarf flowing down their backs to finish off their outfit. Their graceful appearance is complemented by metal earrings and long bead necklaces. It is representative of chastity and lies at the very core of the festival, in which the Galo people showcase their cultural heritage and affinity with tradition through carefully made clothes and adornments.
The Popir Dance is set to the rhythmic sounds of the Yoksha, a unique, sword-shaped instrument with iron discs that produce a rattle. Played by the Miri, a male singer, the Yoksha accompanies folk songs narrating Galo origin tales. This musical backdrop harmonizes with the dancers’ movements, creating a festive yet reverent atmosphere. The music, both lively and melodic, encapsulates Galo traditions, reflecting their respect for Donyi Polo and enhancing the festival’s communal spirit and joyous expression.
Popir Dance is performed during the Mopin festival, a celebration of agricultural renewal and blessings. Dancers link arms, forming a circular chain as they sway rhythmically. The Nyibu priest leads, invoking Donyi Polo for prosperity, while the Miri plays traditional tunes. Rituals include smearing ette (rice flour) on faces as a mark of love, and a Mithun sacrifice to the Goddess. These ancient practices reflect the Galo community’s unity, reverence for tradition, and commitment to their spiritual beliefs.