Arunachal Pradesh Tour Packages

Sanken/Sangken Festival is one of the most unique religious festivals in Arunachal Pradesh. Sanken is a three-day-long festival – in which people bathe the idol of Buddha and it is celebrated on 14th February every year. This festival is mainly celebrated by the Khampti tribe of the Lohit district, although, Sanken is widely celebrated in the entire Arunachal Pradesh. This festival is also regarded as the festival of water; it is believed that sprinkling water shows a sign of respect and a cleansing ritual to welcome the New Year.

The most colorful festival of Arunachal Pradesh, Chalo Loku is a harvest festival that is celebrated in the month of October-November annually; right after the harvest of the paddy field, and before the start of the new Jhum cultivation. The festival got its name from three words: Cha meaning paddy; Lo, which means season, and Loku, which means festival. It lasts for three days, with the first called Phamlamja, the second day is Chamkatja and the third and final day is called Thanlangja. The highlight of the festival is the rice beer, which is prepared specially for this day.

 Boori Boot festival is the way to offer gratitude for the successful harvest of the crops. It is a 3 days festival that is celebrated by the Hill-Miris in the Upper Subansiri and Lower Subansiri district in February. Exclusively performed by Nyishi tribes – is the largest community in Arunachal Pradesh. Boori Boot means to get together irrespective of caste, creed, age, and sex to celebrate the arrival of spring. Another aspect of this festival is that people pray to the spirit of Boori Boot so that it blesses them with prosperity and frees them from diseases.

Dree festival is a popular festival in Arunachal Pradesh and it is an important agricultural festival of the Apatani tribe. This is the biggest festival celebrated by Apatani and it is marked by sacrificial offerings and prayers. This festival is celebrated on the 5th of July and you can witness this auspicious festival in the Ziro district of Arunachal Pradesh. During the festival, people offer a sacrifice of fowls, eggs, and animals to the Gods and pray to the deities of Tamu, Metii, Danyi, and Harniang. Prayers are offered to God Tami so that he protects the plants from harmful pests and insects.

Marking the start of spring and the first day of the lunar calendar, Losar is a popular festival of Arunachal Pradesh. It is the festival of the Monpa tribe in Arunachal Pradesh and is celebrated to welcome a new year. Monpa is the dominating tribe of Tawang and West Kemang district; therefore one can consider Losar as one of the major festivals here. Tawang is amongst the most popular tourist attractions in North East India and visiting it during the festival is indeed the ideal time. The festival falls usually in February or in early March and lasts for about 8 to 15 days during which homes are cleaned, prayers are offered, religious flags are hoisted atop each house, holy scriptures are read and lamps with butter are lit in all the houses.

One of the popular agriculture festivals, Solung is celebrated by the Adi Tribes. The festival is celebrated in the first week of September, after the sowing of seeds, to seek prosperity and a good harvest. Nyokum is the festival of the Nyishi tribe and is celebrated for the harmony and prosperity of the people. At this important Arunachal Pradesh festival, a special prayer structure called Yugang is made of bamboo. With the bamboo, sacrificial animals are tethered.

Solung is the colorful festival of the Adi-Minyong group. The festivities last for seven days during which villagers prepare rice beer and store plenty of meat and vegetables for the joyous occasion. Solung is celebrated in the month of the monsoon. This 10 days festival is amongst the most famous festivals in North East India, especially celebrated by the Adi community in West Siang district, East Siang district, Lower Dibang Valley district, Upper Dibang Valley district, and Upper Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh. The date for the festival is different each year and is decided by Kebang or the village council keeping the convenience of the villagers in mind and once the date is fixed the preparation of the local beer Apong starts.

This festival is Arunachal’s own version of the Sunburn Festival. Ziro Festival of Music is the biggest outdoor music festival in the state and is the most happening event in Arunachal Pradesh as well. Music lovers from all over the state and the North East region gather at Ziro, where this festival takes place. It is a four-day festival where music lovers enjoy the performances of international and domestic music artists. Folk acts from all across the North East are also organized; therefore it is a good opportunity to learn about the different cultures here. People make merry and spend four unforgettable days at the Ziro Festival of Music.

This is a modern-day winter festival which started in the year 2007 and since then has been gaining a lot of popularity in the state. This festival is celebrated in Nampong which is situated in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh. Pangsua Pass Winter Festival (PPWF) is a three-day fest that takes place in January each year. At this festival, the people of Arunachal Pradesh celebrate their extravagant ethnicity and perform folk dances and sing folk songs. Also, handicraft and handloom articles from different parts of the state are put up for exhibition.

The Yomgo River Festival(Siang River Festival) is held to celebrate communal harmony in Arunachal Pradesh. Earlier this festival was celebrated in the form of the Brahmaputra Darshan Festival in Tezu and Pasighat but since the year 2005, the festival is celebrated as the Siang River Festival in places like Tuting, Yingkiong, and Pasighat. It is one of the most popular festivals in Arunachal Pradesh and is an attempt to promote eco-tourism and offer a lot of adventure fun activities like elephant race, traditional boat race, Didi – the mock war game of Mishmis, River rafting, Food Festivals, Folk dances, Cultural Shows, Hot air balloon & Paragliding and Exhibition of a local model house. Apart from this, an exhibition of handloom and handicrafts by the different districts is also held.

Oriah is an agricultural festival of the Wanchos – the tribe of Wanchos who inhabit the Patkai Hills region in Longding District. Oriah is held either in March or April and is the main festival of the Wancho Tribe. It is a 6-12 days festival that involves prayers, music, and dance.

An important festival of Arunachal Pradesh, Reh is the festival of the Idus tribes. People of the Idus tribe believe that they are the sons, and daughters of divine mother ‘Nanyi Inyitaya.’ And the fact is that no one can get the blessings of the divine mother by keeping their bond alive of brotherhood until, and unless they celebrate the Reh festival. Mithun, buffaloes, pigs, and fowl are sacrificed in the names of different gods and deities. Tribes of villages like Talo, Amru, and Dri villages that stay in the snowfall area celebrate it during summer and monsoon as the weather is moderate and fishes can be seen in the streams. The festival is celebrated between February-August for six days.

Mopin is an agricultural festival of the Galos celebrated on 5th April. Mopin is synonymous with wealth and prosperity. As a matter of fact, during this festival you can see the locals smearing rice powder in each other’s faces; this marks the start of the festival. This is an important festival of the Galo Adi tribe and it is celebrated during April. You can notice the women present their slow and graceful dance all dressed in white.

The day of Ganden Ngamchoe commemorates the death of Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelugpa Sect. It is celebrated on the 25th day of the 10th month of the Tibetan calendar. On this day, it is best to offer as many lights offering as you can.

Celebrated in the 9th month of the Monpa Calendar, the Lhabab Duchen Festival signifies the reincarnation of Buddha as Shakyamuni. Lhabab Düchen occurs on the 22nd day of the ninth lunar month according to the Tibetan calendar and is widely celebrated in Tibet and Bhutan.

The Dukpa Tse-Shi Festival celebrates the preaching of the Four Noble Truths at Sarnath by Buddha. It falls in the 6th month of the Lunar Calendar.

Celebrated in the 4th month of the Lunar Calendar, the Saka Dawa Festival marks Gautam Buddha’s achievement of Nirvana.

The Torgya Festival is a 3-day affair. This important festival vilifies evil spirits and harmful forces and commends the rule of prosperity and happiness for the people. This is exclusively held in Tawang Monastery, Arunachal Pradesh. It is held according to the Buddhist calendar days of 28th to 30th of Dawachukchipa, which corresponds to 10 to 12 January of the Gregorian calendar, and is a Monpa celebration.

Nechi Dau or Nechido is celebrated by the tribe of Aka in Arunachal Pradesh. The festival is celebrated in November each year and lasts for four days. The Akas worship different gods and goddesses for warding off the diseases of children, men, and women; the welfare of the village; and for good harvest and luck during hunting and chasing. The tribe of Aka also known as Hruso, it can be found in Thrizino, Bhalukpong, Buragaon, Jamiri, Palizi, Khuppi area in West Kameng. The celebration of Nechido by Akas also involves affiliation with the natural world and community.

Longte Yullo is one of the oldest festivals of the Nyishis tribe in Arunachal Pradesh. This must-see festival has a unique feature and that is, Longte Yullo has neither ritual sacrificing nor any ritual chanting. Ultimately, this makes the celebration a different and interesting festival amongst other harvest festivals of Arunachal Pradesh. This festival is celebrated by the Dodum clans of the Niyshis including Koloriang, Chayang Tajo, Huri, Damin, Sarli, Parsiparlo, etc. Longte-Yullo is celebrated with traditional gaiety and devoutness at the onset of the spring season in April.

The festival of Si-Donyi is celebrated by one of the major tribes of Arunachal Pradesh known as Tagin. Celebrated in January every year, this festival marks the beginning of a new year. The festival is observed for the well-being of the community and mankind as a whole. Tagin are the inhabitants of Upper Subansari and can also be found in the West Siang district.

Tamladu Festival is one of the ancient and popular festivals of Arunachal Pradesh. This festival is celebrated in the Lohit district of the state by the Digaru Mishmis tribe. During this festival, you can witness the display of its social, religious, and supernatural beliefs and according to them, it is only natural that can prevent them from any nature’s fury. Hence, during this festival prayers are offered to nature. Tamladu Festival is celebrated on 15th February and this festival spreads the message of unity and gaiety.