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DAILY NEWS ANALYSIS

  • 08 November, 2022

  • 6 Min Read

Wangala Dance: Meghalaya

Wangala Dance: Meghalaya

  • The Rising Sun Water Fest-2022 kicked off in the pristine surroundings of Umiam Lake (a man-made reservoir) in Meghalaya.
  • On the occasion of 'The Rising Sun Water Fest-2022,' members of the Garo tribal community perform the Wangala dance.

About Wangala Dance:

  • Wangala, also known as the Festival of Hundred Drums, is celebrated with various forms of dances performed to the tunes of folk songs played on drums and primitive flutes made of buffalo horns.
  • The festival commemorates the Sun God and marks the end of the long harvest season.
  • The celebration also marks the end of a long period of toil in the field for the Garo tribe before the arrival of winter.
  • The festival is a way for the Garo Tribe of Meghalaya to preserve and promote their cultural identity, and they display their tradition in their celebrations.

About the Garo Community:

  • The Garos, also known as A'chiks, are Meghalaya's second largest tribe.
  • The Khasi and Jaintia tribes are Meghalaya's other two major tribes.
  • The Garos have a strong belief that they originated in Tibet. There are several dialects and cultural groups. Each of them first settled in a specific area of the Garo Hills and outlying plain lands.
  • However, Christianity has had a significant impact on the culture of the modern Garo community.
  • Nokpantes are a relic of the past, and modern parents treat all children with equal care, rights, and importance.
  • The Garo marriage is governed by two important laws: Exogamy and A'Kim, which are based on clan affiliation. Marriages within the same clan are not permitted.
  • According to Akim law, a man or woman who has once contracted marriage will never be free to remarry a person of another clan, even if his or her spouse dies.
  • The Garos are one of the world's last matrilineal societies.
  • Individuals are given clan titles by their mothers. Traditionally, the property is passed down from mother to the youngest daughter.
  • Sons leave their parents' home when they reach puberty and are educated in the village bachelor dormitory (Nokpante). After marrying, the man moves into his wife's home. Garos are a matrilineal but not matriarchal society.

Read Also: Tokhu Emong Festival

Source: PIB


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