Apatani community celebrates Dree Festival across Arunachal with traditional fervour

The Apatani community celebrated the annual Dree Festival with traditional fervour and cultural enthusiasm across Arunachal Pradesh on Sunday, July 5 with the largest gatherings taking place in the Ziro Valley and Itanagar. The festival, one of the most significant cultural and agricultural observances of the Apatanis, is dedicated to seeking divine blessings for abundant harvests, timely monsoon, fertility, and the welfare of humanity.

Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Tai Tagak attended the 37th Hong Dree Festival at Hong village in Lower Subansiri district as the chief guest. The celebration commenced with the hoisting of the Dree flag, rendition of the Dree Anthem, reading of Dree mythology, and felicitation of meritorious students and traditional priests in recognition of their contributions to society and preservation of indigenous traditions.

Dree is an agricultural and fertility festival observed annually from July 4 to 7 by the Apatani community, which is renowned for its unique wet rice cultivation system in the fertile Ziro Valley. The festival is dedicated to invoking the blessings of the deities associated with agriculture for a bumper harvest while praying for protection from drought, famine and starvation. Community members also offer prayers for family welfare, prosperity and favourable climatic conditions essential for cultivation.

Addressing the gathering, MP Tai Tagak extended greetings to the Apatani community and underscored the importance of preserving indigenous traditions. He said festivals serve not only as occasions for celebration but also as platforms to introduce younger generations to their customs, folklore and cultural heritage.

"Our identity is rooted in our culture. If we lose our culture, we lose our identity. Every tribe in Arunachal Pradesh should preserve its unique traditions while strengthening the spirit of unity in diversity. 'Our culture, our pride' should remain the guiding principle for all communities," he said.

The celebrations featured traditional rituals performed by Dree priests to appease the deities associated with agriculture and ensure a successful farming season. Ritual offerings formed an integral part of the observance, followed by the distribution of Dree Taku (cucumber), traditional rice and millet beer, and a community feast.

Cultural performances by artists of all age groups highlighted the festivities, with the traditional Pri dances, the popular Daminda dance, and other folk performances drawing enthusiastic participation. Literary competitions, traditional games and sports, along with modern cultural programmes, added to the celebrations.

Seven visitors from Spain who attended the festival expressed appreciation for the hospitality of the Apatani community and described the Dree celebrations as a unique cultural experience. They said witnessing the indigenous traditions and festivities firsthand had left them deeply impressed.

The festival also drew attention to the distinctive cultural practices of the Apatanis. Elderly women explained the significance of the facial tattoos traditionally worn by women of the community. According to local belief, Apatani women were considered exceptionally beautiful and were often vulnerable to abduction for marriage by men from neighbouring tribes in earlier times. To protect their daughters, families tattooed five lines on the forehead, nose and chin to make them less attractive to potential abductors. The practice was eventually discontinued following the visit of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to Ziro in 1972.

The Apatani community, one of the major indigenous tribes of Arunachal Pradesh, primarily inhabits the picturesque Ziro Valley, known for its terraced paddy fields, pine-covered hills and advanced indigenous irrigation system. The community's traditional wet rice cultivation practices have long been recognised as an example of sustainable agriculture and continue to remain central to its cultural identity.

Marked by rituals, community participation and colourful cultural performances, this year's Dree Festival once again reflected the Apatani community's enduring commitment to preserving its rich cultural heritage while celebrating its centuries-old agricultural traditions.