Wangala | Festival of India

Wangala Festival of Meghalaya may be the hottest FestivalFestival among the Garos of Meghalaya, India. Wangala Festival may be a harvest festival held in honour of Saljong, the Sun-god of fertility. The celebration of the Wangala Festival marks the end of a toil period that brings sound output from the fields. It also signifies the starting of the winter season.

The Ritual within the Wangala Festival

Also referred to as a 100 drums festival, Wangala Festival is when the tribals offer sacrifices to please their main deity Saljong - the Sun God. It's generally celebrated for two days and sometimes continues for even every week. The ceremony performed on the first day is understood as Ragula, which is performed inside the chief's house. On the second day is understood as Kakkar. People young and recently carrying their vibrant costumes with feathered headdresses dance to music contend on long oval-shaped drums. This is often the occasion to relax, and for days, the hills and valleys echo with the great beat of drums. The favored dance forms are performed during the FestivalFestival; it has certain subtle variations. The most motif is a queue of two parallel lines - one among men and girls clad in their festive fineries. Younger people and elders are a part of the festivities with equal enthusiasm. While the lads beat the drums, the road moves forward in rhythmic accord. There's a unique sense of tempo within the performers, young and old, and therefore the energetic dance leaves an enduring impression upon the beholder.

The Wangala Festival may be a way to preserve and promote the cultural identity of Garos in Meghalaya. This is often a method to exhibit the culture and tradition of the region.

Traditions of the Wangala Festival

Wangala is the most vital FestivalFestival of the Garos, the second-largest tribe in Meghalaya, accounting for 30% of the state's population.

Wangala is additionally referred to as the Hundred Drums Festival. keep with the opposite Garo festivals; it's an agricultural festival, a thanksgiving ceremony to Misi Saljong also referred to as Pattigipa Ra'rongipa (The great Giver) for having blessed the citizenry with an upscale harvest of the season

The ceremony is held in Asanang, close to Tura in West Garo Hills. It is a semiconductor diode by the village priest. . Garo girls are referred to as 'normal, and boys referred to as 'pante' participate in Wangala. One hundred pantes beat long drums (pictured above) referred to as Dama in teams and play bamboo flutes. 

Despite the history of the traditions of this FestivalFestival, the primary official Hundred Drums Wangala Festival happened in December 1976. The FestivalFestival has grown since then thanks to the patronage of the govt of Meghalaya and nurtured Festival Organisation.

Banks in Shillong, the capital, are going to be closed on the Wangala Day holiday.

Wangala is that the harvest festival of the Garo community. Wangala is widely known in many separate places across the season. Those that want to experience the most important Wangala can head to the 100 Drums Festival – a newer convergence of multiple festivals on one single stage persisted the primary week of November.

The most deity of Wangala is the sun-god, and therefore the main soundtrack is provided by the Nagra drum. Towards the end of the FestivalFestival (which continues for days), the most important batch of dancers converge on the most celebrated area with multiple drums and perform the ceremonial and traditional dances.

Wangala may be a time of festivity – because the harvest is complete so that the people can rejoice. Within the midst of the festivities, aside from soaking within the beautiful dances and outfits, visitors can enjoy local cuisine and traditional beverages just like the famous Garo rice wine – bitchi. During the Wangala festival, the lads and ladies wear the most traditional apparel, showcasing vivid colors and patterns. A number of the eye-catching garments that the ladies wear include:

• The bead-embellished chroko ganna.
• The ganna dakmanda (wrap).
• The chinani (shawl).
• Ganna kore kinga (traditional top).
• Therefore the kotip (a headscarf-like accessory).

The lads are wearing the gantap (wrap), the Genji gisim (shirt), or they will also replace that with a pandora (a crisscrossed cloth worn across the body), and kadesil is the distinctive headgear. Coral, shells, beads, and silver dominate the various ornaments worn by the lads and women.

The beautiful part of this FestivalFestival is the extensiveness of its celebrations. You'll often find two to 3 villagers together conducting Wangala spanning from two days to almost a week! To preserve the Garo culture, it involves ethnic food, dance, songs, and exhibitions to the planet. The foremost attractive ritual is the Dama Gogeta, dancing with drums, flutes, assorted brass instruments by men and ladies wearing colorful attire. Then there's Katta Doka traditional rapping, Dani Doka or praising Wangala festival, and Chambil Mesa or the pomelo dance event- all of which have garnered the eye of Europeans and Americans alike.