Arunachal tribe celebrates Si Donyi festival with traditional fervour

The Tagin community of Arunachal Pradesh marked their most significant agricultural festival, Si Donyi Hilo, with vibrant cultural performances and traditional ceremonies across the state this weekend. Major celebrations took place in Naharlagun and Daporijo, drawing large crowds and government dignitaries.

Local MLA Techi Kaso, who attended as Chief Guest in Naharlagun, emphasised the festival's universal significance. He stressed the importance of preserving cultural heritage, urging parents to teach children their mother tongue and traditional values.

The month-long preparations culminated in mega dance competitions, ponung performances, and demonstrations of local war dances. Community elders guided priests through traditional rituals honouring Si (Earth) and Donyi (Sun), with Earth holding particular reverence as the mother figure in Tagin belief systems.

Home Minister Mama Natung joined parallel celebrations in Daporijo, the cultural heart of the Tagin community in Upper Subansiri district. The festival, requiring substantial community resources, is organised collectively rather than individually due to its scale.

The Tagin people, numbering around 20,000 as of recent estimates, primarily follow the Donyi Polo faith, though some groups have incorporated Buddhist influences through historical contact with Tibetan settlers. While maintaining their distinctive cultural identity, they form part of the broader Tani tribal family in Arunachal Pradesh.