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Thanking the Sun God of Fertility

The Garo tribe of Meghalaya, are celebrating the 39th Hundred Drums Wangala Festival to mark the onset of winter

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A group of Garo men beat the damas (drums) at Shillong, Meghalaya. Thousands of drummers perform in the event as a part of the festival
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The Wangala festival, also known as the Hundred Drums Festival, is a harvest festival celebrated by the Garo tribe of Meghalaya and in the neighbouring areas of Assam and Bangladesh. Marking an end to the agricultural year and the beginning of winter, it is an annual festival usually celebrated in the second week of November.

Thousands of people gather together in dance, music, rituals and festivities to give thanks to Misi Saljong — the Sun God of Fertility, also known as the Great Giver, and offer prayers for the next cultivation cycle. Manseng Gitok, Assistant General Secretary of North East Students Organisation and Adviser of Garo Students Union, gave an overview of the three-day festival which begins with a ritual called Rugala on the first day.

“In this ceremony, the village chief — called Nokma, offers produce from the first harvest to Misi Saljong in the form of a non-refined brew of rice known as Chu along with cooked rice and vegetables,” he explained. Since the Garos do not have idols, the ritual takes place in front of the Nokma’s house. Cha’chat So’a is performed on the second day in which the Nokma scatters rice all over his house, as drums beat in the background to symbolise rain and celebrate the sowing season. He then burns incense sticks, the smoke signifying rain clouds.

The final day is marked by Dani Doka which involves singing folk songs describing Wangala, followed by the Wangala dance competitions in which one can witness the ultimate culmination of the best in traditional Garo wear known as dohkmanda.

The name ‘Hundred Drums Festival’ derives from this competition, in which 10 troupes of 10 drummers are selected from different settlements every year. “The dance competition lasts through the entire third day and the participants are judged by the Nokma,” said Gitok.

They wear traditional feathered turbans called kotips, colourful cotton scarves called pandras and are seen beating oblong drums called damas. A parallel queue of young women dance to the rhythmic sound of the drums, bamboo flutes and ancient trumpets made of buffalo horn.

Birth of Wangala

The Garo tribe identify themselves as ‘people of the hills.’ Their traditions are inspired by nature. As legend goes, Wangala is the dance of creatures inhabiting water bodies, and many of the original styles are inspired by crabs.

It is said that humans didn’t know how to dance so the crabs taught them on land. Although Wangala forms the cultural identity of the Garo tribe and has been practised since time immemorial, the first Wangala Hundred Drums festival was held in 1976 as an effort to preserve the culture.

Ever since, the festival has been a grand carnival of celebration for both the young and old of the tribe. It has also become an annual congregation for those of the tribe who have migrated to cities and metros.

The traditional festival is organised at Asananggre, 15 km from Tura, the largest town in Garo. This year, V. Shanmuganathan, Governor of Meghalaya is the chief guest at the festival which began on Nov 10 and ends today.

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