Dree Celebration 2008

4^th July

Time 3.30 pm: I am thinking of capturing the Dree Celebration on 5^th on my camera but am clueless on when to proceed to Dree Ground at old Ziro or when the programme would start the next day.

Time 5.30 pm: I got chance to go through the invitation card of Dree Celebration at one of friends house. The programme overleaf says:

0800 Hrs: Gathering at Dree Ground.
0930 Hrs: Arrival of Chief Guest.

With the details of programme the next day handy, I am thinking of making it to Dree Ground before 0930 Hrs the next day.

5^th July

As late riser as I’m, I got up at around 7.30 am only to find that the Rain God has not been so kind. There have been heavy downpour since last night and it still is continuing. I’m not able to make out if I should proceed to Dree Ground or not or if it, at all would be possible to take any photos in such inclement weather (my camera is not water proof….gee.. :().

Time 9.25 am: Despite the heavy rain I finally make up my mind to go to Dree Ground at Old Ziro, to be part of the celebration, if not capturing the event. And with me, I tag my camera along; still unsure if I would be able to put it to use. I think of capturing whatever fancies me at the celebration ground if Rain God permits.

Time 9.45 am: I reach Dree Ground feeling bit annoyed with myself for not making it to ground on time prior to arrival of Chief Guests. But, where are the Chief Guest and Guest of Honor? They have not arrived yet.Meanwhile, the overcast subsides and the Rain God shy away paving way for bright sunshine, to the much relief of people gathered in the ground for celebration. It’s been an hour now waiting for the Chief Guest and Guest of Honor to arrive.

Time 10.45 am: Finally, Chief Guest Nido Pavitra, Hon’ble MLA Raga and Guest of Honor Ms. Bandhana Deori, IRS, Secretary Tourism & UD, Government of Arunachal Pradesh arrives along with the CDFC Chairman. What took them so long to reach the venue when they were putting up at Ziro since the previous day? Oh! I should have known what schedule means to the politicians.

Guest, Guest of Honor and CDFC Chairman pose with Dree 'Nyibu'

Time 11.10 am (roughly): With invocation of Dree spirits and hoisting of Dree flag over and with inclement weather paving way for sunshine, I let my camera take charge.

Camera Crew of Local Cable Network covering the celebration

Team Leader..Eh! A Japanese Tourist matching steps with Daminda Team

Turn of the Apatanis'-known for their hospitality to felicitate the Japanese friends who so enthusiastically took part in the celebration

With foreign tourists flocking Ziro to withness the celebration, I am thinking is it the dawn of cultural tourism.

Eiffel Tower for sale, any takers?

Pinta at Dree Altar

Who's the Subject?

Time around 2.30 pm: ‘Nikung Dapo’, Apatani Dictionary by Habung Donyi (New Edition) and 'Ditung Potung' of Hija released.

Time 3.20 pm: Feeling bit tired and bored to hell with the speeches delivered, I decide to retreat back to my home.

6^th July

Time 2.30 pm: Cho called on to ask if I would be interested in going to Dree Ground to witness draw of Dree Lottery. With the sun blazing down fiercely since yesterday, almost making me sleepy and lazy, I am not in a mood to venture outside from the comfort of my home. Half heartedly, I give him an affirmative reply. From inside, I am praying that he would cancel his plan to go to Dree ground.

Time 2.35 pm: Cho along with Tallo knocks the door. There is no other option left with me but for tagging along with them to Dree Ground. I console myself telling myself that I will be witnessing the Dree Lottery Draw, which has earned a name for itself for it’s fairness in draw.
Time 4.00 pm: Draw begins and it indeed is a very fair draw without any scope of cheating the ticket holders.

A policeman and a lottery ticket holder inspecting the tambola used for draw

Time 5.30 pm: Our ticket numbers are not in the list of numbers drawn and we are heading back to Hapoli a little disappointed with our lucks :(

Dree Celebration 2008

4^th July

Time 3.30 pm: I am thinking of capturing the Dree Celebration on 5^th on my camera but am clueless on when to proceed to Dree Ground at old Ziro or when the programme would start the next day.

Time 5.30 pm: I got chance to go through the invitation card of Dree Celebration at one of friends house. The programme overleaf says:

0800 Hrs: Gathering at Dree Ground.
0930 Hrs: Arrival of Chief Guest.

With the details of programme the next day handy, I am thinking of making it to Dree Ground before 0930 Hrs the next day.

5^th July

As late riser as I’m, I got up at around 7.30 am only to find that the Rain God has not been so kind. There have been heavy downpour since last night and it still is continuing. I’m not able to make out if I should proceed to Dree Ground or not or if it, at all would be possible to take any photos in such inclement weather (my camera is not water proof….gee.. :().

Time 9.25 am: Despite the heavy rain I finally make up my mind to go to Dree Ground at Old Ziro, to be part of the celebration, if not capturing the event. And with me, I tag my camera along; still unsure if I would be able to put it to use. I think of capturing whatever fancies me at the celebration ground if Rain God permits.

Time 9.45 am: I reach Dree Ground feeling bit annoyed with myself for not making it to ground on time prior to arrival of Chief Guests. But, where are the Chief Guest and Guest of Honor? They have not arrived yet.Meanwhile, the overcast subsides and the Rain God shy away paving way for bright sunshine, to the much relief of people gathered in the ground for celebration. It’s been an hour now waiting for the Chief Guest and Guest of Honor to arrive.

Time 10.45 am: Finally, Chief Guest Nido Pavitra, Hon’ble MLA Raga and Guest of Honor Ms. Bandhana Deori, IRS, Secretary Tourism & UD, Government of Arunachal Pradesh arrives along with the CDFC Chairman. What took them so long to reach the venue when they were putting up at Ziro since the previous day? Oh! I should have known what schedule means to the politicians.

Guest, Guest of Honor and CDFC Chairman pose with Dree 'Nyibu'

Time 11.10 am (roughly): With invocation of Dree spirits and hoisting of Dree flag over and with inclement weather paving way for sunshine, I let my camera take charge.

Camera Crew of Local Cable Network covering the celebration

Team Leader..Eh! A Japanese Tourist matching steps with Daminda Team

Turn of the Apatanis'-known for their hospitality to felicitate the Japanese friends who so enthusiastically took part in the celebration

With foreign tourists flocking Ziro to withness the celebration, I am thinking is it the dawn of cultural tourism.

Eiffel Tower for sale, any takers?

Pinta at Dree Altar

Who's the Subject?

Time around 2.30 pm: ‘Nikung Dapo’, Apatani Dictionary by Habung Donyi (New Edition) and 'Ditung Potung' of Hija released.

Time 3.20 pm: Feeling bit tired and bored to hell with the speeches delivered, I decide to retreat back to my home.

6^th July

Time 2.30 pm: Cho called on to ask if I would be interested in going to Dree Ground to witness draw of Dree Lottery. With the sun blazing down fiercely since yesterday, almost making me sleepy and lazy, I am not in a mood to venture outside from the comfort of my home. Half heartedly, I give him an affirmative reply. From inside, I am praying that he would cancel his plan to go to Dree ground.

Time 2.35 pm: Cho along with Tallo knocks the door. There is no other option left with me but for tagging along with them to Dree Ground. I console myself telling myself that I will be witnessing the Dree Lottery Draw, which has earned a name for itself for it’s fairness in draw.
Time 4.00 pm: Draw begins and it indeed is a very fair draw without any scope of cheating the ticket holders.

A policeman and a lottery ticket holder inspecting the tambola used for draw

Time 5.30 pm: Our ticket numbers are not in the list of numbers drawn and we are heading back to Hapoli a little disappointed with our lucks :(

Myoko Celebration of Apatani's-A Photo Feature

Ah! This post was long due. I remember promising one of my reader (I guess it was Richo, if I remember well) to do a photo feature on Myoko as soon as it comes to an end on 19^th of April, summarizing the event in a chronological order; but for the backlogs at my work, which I had to clear before I could sit on the net to resume my regular blogging. Nevertheless, I guess, it is better late than never..eh! A nice excuse;-). Well, before writing anything farther, let me warn you that this post is rather long. So, if you don’t feel like going through the post, you are always welcome to skip the post and scroll down to the photos of the event that I have posted below..down under..

My Experience of Myoko

Before this Myoko, I was of the opinion, like any other neo-Apatani, that the Myoko celebration is a sheer waste of money and time where ’O’-the local rice beer flowed like water and meat consumed without a limit. However, after having observed the celebration and rituals very closely and being part of the celebration this Myoko, my perception and outlook towards Myoko has totally been transformed. Although, still I feel that there is this huge involvement of money (I had to shell out around 30k for the celebration) and time; I do know now that Myoko is a celebration where you renew your relationships, share camaraderie and pay homage to the ancestors and nature who has given you life and means of sustenance. In fact, to put in other words, Myoko is a celebration which encompasses every fabric of the Apatani society. Well, here I must add that the above outlook on Myoko is mine alone and in no way am I trying to counter those who feels that Myoko is a ‘foolishness’-may be from their point of view they are right.

The other thing that attracted my attention this Myoko was the equal numbers of flags with symbol of 'Sun' fluttering along with the 'Babo's'. It made me wonder, if it is the reflection of people turning towards 'Donyi-Poloism' or Hinduism?

[Babo v/s Flag]

How Myoko Celebration came into being? – A bit of Mythology

As one of the mythology suggests-Abotani, the father of the mankind, by virtue of blessings from the ’supreme power’ had become so powerful that he became menace to everyone right from his brothers Kirii and Kilo to his father-in-law Siiki to other living beings and this growth in power even threatened the existence of ’supreme power’. Lest Abotani eliminated him, the supreme power conspired to eliminate Abotani. So, the supreme power tricked him into climbing a log and suspended him in the air over the log to die.

‘Dolyang Chanyang’-the first female Nyibu (priest) of Apatani and sister of Abotani couldn’t see her brother suspended to die, requested the supreme power to spare him. After lots of persuasion, the supreme power finally agreed to spare Abotani’s life on the condition that some power given to him, by virtue of which Abotani had become so powerful, be taken back. The mythology suggests that Abotani had three eyes and spikes at his ankle. By virtue of the third eye Abotani could foresee the future and the spikes at his ankle made him very powerful. As the condition for sparing Abotani’s life, the supreme power took back the third eye and the spikes rendering Abotani less powerful. It is said that since then, on the advice of Dolyang Chanyang, Abotani started observing Myoko in order to appease the supreme power.




The other mythology suggests that Abotani, as intelligent and cunning as he was, always out witted his father-in-law Siiki and tried to reign supremacy over his father-in-law, his brothers Kiiri and Kilo, other creatures etc. Tired of Abotani’s supremacy, they conspired to eliminate Abotani of which Dolyang Chanyang came to know about. She suggested Abotani to observe Myoko as a reconciliatory measure and to invite Siiki for the celebration, which being father-in-law, Siiki would not be able to turn down. Since then, it is said that Myoko is being observed by the Apatani’s.

Myoko-A Photo Feature

Prior to the advent of calendars’, people knew it’s time for Myoko celebration when the takung (peach) starts flowering.

[Takung Apu]


Myoko begins 20^th of March every year with group of villages taking their turn to observe it and it is declared open with a ritual called Sama Piniing where wooden logs equaling the number of households in a clan are piled up at the residence of yugyang ato i.e., the owner of yugyang-a sacred place.

[Sama]

These logs are used at the ceremonial end of Myoko to roast rice [with or without husk] in a closing ritual called Empii Koniin.

After Sama Piniin ritual, for 3 days guests from non-performing villages are invited for a bout of rice beer and food. At the end of 3^rd day, Siiki is invoked in a ritual called Siiro Cheniin or Tapiir Liniin, where tapiir[cane] leaves are put at Nago.

[Priest invoking Siiki]

[Nago]

[Nago with Tapeiir leaves]

[Old man watching Siiro Cheniin]

Siiro Cheniin is followed by a ritual called pigyang huniin, where pigs are sacrificed. Prior to sacrifice, the pigs are brought to yugyang for purification by nyibu (priest) after which it is brought to respective homes for sacrificing. This particular ritual enticed me for this is the ritual where you get chance to get a glimpse of the new brides Nyahii (daughter-in-laws) in a clan, for the brides Nyahii's attired in beautiful traditional dress and ornaments come to yugyang to offer their offerings.

[Bride's Nyahii with their offerings]

Just after this ritual, the next two days are reserved for Buniing Ajing (A friendship relationship passed down from generation to generation), where you invite them and exchange gifts. Thereafter, Danyi tunii ritual-erection of Danyi (Sun) altar at yugyang and lapang (community platform) is performed followed by ude tiniing –purification of house by offering to the deities of the house. When all the houses has been purified, Khelo (nii) ritual is performed which basically signifies bidding adieu to the spirits-the Siiki, Kirii, Kilo, the ancestors etc., This ritual is marked by putting takho around the dwelling place, lapang, babo, yugyang, etc.

[Sho-the lower jaw of pig being lined at Yugyang Ato's house during Khelo (nii) ritual]

[Takho around Nago and Pamung Agyang]

Early the next morning, people go for offering to bamboo groves, clan owned forest, paddy fields etc., and for catching ngilyang ngiyi, after taking of which you can break the restriction on eating of fish during the celebration.

[Ngilyang Ngiiyi]

[The Bamboo Grove]

[The offering]

And finally, the month long celebration came to an end with Empii Koniin, where roasted rice is taken to break all the restrictions on food habits that had been imposed during the Myoko.

Myoko Celebration of Apatani's-A Photo Feature

Ah! This post was long due. I remember promising one of my reader (I guess it was Richo, if I remember well) to do a photo feature on Myoko as soon as it comes to an end on 19^th of April, summarizing the event in a chronological order; but for the backlogs at my work, which I had to clear before I could sit on the net to resume my regular blogging. Nevertheless, I guess, it is better late than never..eh! A nice excuse;-). Well, before writing anything farther, let me warn you that this post is rather long. So, if you don’t feel like going through the post, you are always welcome to skip the post and scroll down to the photos of the event that I have posted below..down under..

My Experience of Myoko

Before this Myoko, I was of the opinion, like any other neo-Apatani, that the Myoko celebration is a sheer waste of money and time where ’O’-the local rice beer flowed like water and meat consumed without a limit. However, after having observed the celebration and rituals very closely and being part of the celebration this Myoko, my perception and outlook towards Myoko has totally been transformed. Although, still I feel that there is this huge involvement of money (I had to shell out around 30k for the celebration) and time; I do know now that Myoko is a celebration where you renew your relationships, share camaraderie and pay homage to the ancestors and nature who has given you life and means of sustenance. In fact, to put in other words, Myoko is a celebration which encompasses every fabric of the Apatani society. Well, here I must add that the above outlook on Myoko is mine alone and in no way am I trying to counter those who feels that Myoko is a ‘foolishness’-may be from their point of view they are right.

The other thing that attracted my attention this Myoko was the equal numbers of flags with symbol of 'Sun' fluttering along with the 'Babo's'. It made me wonder, if it is the reflection of people turning towards 'Donyi-Poloism' or Hinduism?

[Babo v/s Flag]

How Myoko Celebration came into being? – A bit of Mythology

As one of the mythology suggests-Abotani, the father of the mankind, by virtue of blessings from the ’supreme power’ had become so powerful that he became menace to everyone right from his brothers Kirii and Kilo to his father-in-law Siiki to other living beings and this growth in power even threatened the existence of ’supreme power’. Lest Abotani eliminated him, the supreme power conspired to eliminate Abotani. So, the supreme power tricked him into climbing a log and suspended him in the air over the log to die.

‘Dolyang Chanyang’-the first female Nyibu (priest) of Apatani and sister of Abotani couldn’t see her brother suspended to die, requested the supreme power to spare him. After lots of persuasion, the supreme power finally agreed to spare Abotani’s life on the condition that some power given to him, by virtue of which Abotani had become so powerful, be taken back. The mythology suggests that Abotani had three eyes and spikes at his ankle. By virtue of the third eye Abotani could foresee the future and the spikes at his ankle made him very powerful. As the condition for sparing Abotani’s life, the supreme power took back the third eye and the spikes rendering Abotani less powerful. It is said that since then, on the advice of Dolyang Chanyang, Abotani started observing Myoko in order to appease the supreme power.

The other mythology suggests that Abotani, as intelligent and cunning as he was, always out witted his father-in-law Siiki and tried to reign supremacy over his father-in-law, his brothers Kiiri and Kilo, other creatures etc. Tired of Abotani’s supremacy, they conspired to eliminate Abotani of which Dolyang Chanyang came to know about. She suggested Abotani to observe Myoko as a reconciliatory measure and to invite Siiki for the celebration, which being father-in-law, Siiki would not be able to turn down. Since then, it is said that Myoko is being observed by the Apatani’s.

Myoko-A Photo Feature

Prior to the advent of calendars’, people knew it’s time for Myoko celebration when the takung (peach) starts flowering.

[Takung Apu]

Myoko begins 20^th of March every year with group of villages taking their turn to observe it and it is declared open with a ritual called Sama Piniing where wooden logs equaling the number of households in a clan are piled up at the residence of yugyang ato i.e., the owner of yugyang-a sacred place.

[Sama]

These logs are used at the ceremonial end of Myoko to roast rice [with or without husk] in a closing ritual called Empii Koniin.

After Sama Piniin ritual, for 3 days guests from non-performing villages are invited for a bout of rice beer and food. At the end of 3^rd day, Siiki is invoked in a ritual called Siiro Cheniin or Tapiir Liniin, where tapiir[cane] leaves are put at Nago.

[Priest invoking Siiki]

[Nago]

[Nago with Tapeiir leaves]

[Old man watching Siiro Cheniin]

Siiro Cheniin is followed by a ritual called pigyang huniin, where pigs are sacrificed. Prior to sacrifice, the pigs are brought to yugyang for purification by nyibu (priest) after which it is brought to respective homes for sacrificing. This particular ritual enticed me for this is the ritual where you get chance to get a glimpse of the new brides Nyahii (daughter-in-laws) in a clan, for the brides Nyahii's attired in beautiful traditional dress and ornaments come to yugyang to offer their offerings.

[Bride's Nyahii with their offerings]

Just after this ritual, the next two days are reserved for Buniing Ajing (A friendship relationship passed down from generation to generation), where you invite them and exchange gifts. Thereafter, Danyi tunii ritual-erection of Danyi (Sun) altar at yugyang and lapang (community platform) is performed followed by ude tiniing –purification of house by offering to the deities of the house. When all the houses has been purified, Khelo (nii) ritual is performed which basically signifies bidding adieu to the spirits-the Siiki, Kirii, Kilo, the ancestors etc., This ritual is marked by putting takho around the dwelling place, lapang, babo, yugyang, etc.

[Sho-the lower jaw of pig being lined at Yugyang Ato's house during Khelo (nii) ritual]

[Takho around Nago and Pamung Agyang]

Early the next morning, people go for offering to bamboo groves, clan owned forest, paddy fields etc., and for catching ngilyang ngiyi, after taking of which you can break the restriction on eating of fish during the celebration.

[Ngilyang Ngiiyi]

[The Bamboo Grove]

[The offering]

And finally, the month long celebration came to an end with Empii Koniin, where roasted rice is taken to break all the restrictions on food habits that had been imposed during the Myoko.

Maha Shiva Ratri at Kardo-A Photo feature

The last Thursday being Maha Shiva Ratri, the colleagues at work decided to pay a visit to the Shiva Lingam at Kardo, some 3-4 km away from Hao Polyang (Hapoli) Township and they asked me if I could join them. So, I tagged along with them; not because the devotion in me prodded me-I am an atheist in fact, but because I wanted to see if there was any change since my last visit to Kardo and how the devotees observes Maha-Shiva Ratri.

And change-it was all there to see written all over the trees, quite literally. It was nice to see that the Kardo Committee looking after the place is quite environment conscious and they students of Tajang, Duta, Hija, TDP and Gandhi Schools under the banner of Future Club had put placards all along the way to not to pollute the environment. Kudos to them for their environment conciousness. I only wondered how much the devotees paying visit to the Lingam pays heed to their request.

[Environment Message]

Another change from my last visit was presence of vendors selling puja items and eatables all along the way to the Lingam-which I guess was perhaps on the anticipation of huge number of devotees turning out to offer their prayer that day and in turn a good business for them.

[Selling Puja Items]

And true to their anticipation, large number of Shiviites turned up to offer their prayers, sometimes even making it impossible to make way for each other in the narrow, muddy and slippery track leading to the Lingam. I am all praise for those devotees-young and old alike, who made this tiresome uphill trek all for their devotion to Shiva and their zeal to offer prayer to him on Maha Shiva Ratri. (It’s been 2 days since the visit to Kardo, but still my muscles are aching)

[The Devotees]

After near about 45 minutes trek, we reached the spot. My colleagues went on to offer their prayers and while they were busy offering their prayers, I was busy capturing with my camera.

[Trishul]

Just near the entrance to the puja sthall, my attention was caught by this sadhu. When I approached him, he very enthusiastically obliged to be photographed.

While photographing him one thought was doing round my mind, what purpose he might have shown for his visit while applying for ILP (Inner Line Permit). Was it a tourist permit or a work permit?

[Devotees offering their prayers]

The turn out of the devotees being large it took around 30 minutes for my colleagues to get their turn to offer their prayers. One of my colleague, after observing so many locals making part of the devotees who came to offer prayer, remarked, "Now, one cannot deny that Hinduism has made inroad into the Apatani society and it wouldn’t be long when majority will be Hindu." I couldn’t agree more than him. When Donyi-Poloism is being equated with Hinduism or as a branch of Hindu, is there anyone left who is not a Hindu?.

Having offered their prayers we climbed downhill. Finally, after near about 2 and a ½ hours since we started the trek we came down to foothill, all satisfied.

I’m leaving you with this photograph of view of Hapoli Township shot from the place just before you make ascent to Kardo.

[View of Hao-Polyang Township]