
Themes
tribal fairs and festivals
Myoko Festival , arunachal pradesh

Myoko Festival is one of the lively cultural activities that celebrate Apatanis within the Ziro Valley of Arunachal Pradesh. It takes place from March 20 to March 30 every year and stands for friendship and harmony between the Apatani villages. Elaborate rituals, dances, and feasting are part of the festivities. New agricultural season commences with this festival, while it also blesses the harvest promisingly. The Myoko festival shows an example of the community sharing resources-bestowing in their traditions and culture as unique identity.

The Apatani tribe has their land in the Ziro Valley located within Arunachal Pradesh. They are people of known heritage who practice integrated rice-fish farming and are enriched with a natural resource management understanding. Donyi (sun) and Polo (moon) are the deities they worship. They use Tani as their language. They are also associated with facial tattoos and nose plugs, which have a historical significance. Their entire life is aligned with environmental and cultural practices.

Myoko Festival calls for the advice of innumerable ritual associations that begin with the slaughter of pigs for so-called chicken-slaying-or sacrificing chickens-initiated by the village shaman. The first slaughter of pigs and chickens and further offerings are to settle matters with the deities and souls of the ancestors that may bless them. It is characterized by performances of traditional dances and songs, while processions are held in the village to marvel and celebrate the tribe's culture. Good harvest prayers and blessings for a prosperous, healthy new year for their community are an important part of this celebration.

The Myoko Festival puts on display the cultural practices of the Apatani. It is celebrated as a rotation among the eight Apatani villages, marked with dances, music, feasts, and sharing times for the community to express their traditions and celebrate their distinctive cultural identity. It really manifests the Apatanis' sense of community and solidarity toward preserving their cultural heritage while cultivating an atmosphere of unity and cooperation.

Both aged and young people of the Apatani community participate very actively in the Myoko Festival. It unites them, as every member contributes to the celebration. Elders play a very important role in guiding the younger generation so that they know how to keep and carry on the traditions. It strengthens social bonds and renders preservation to that bond as well as cultural heritage, keeping itself tightly-knit and cohesive.