Wangala Festival 2022: Date, Rituals, Significance and Highlights

Wangala Festival 2022: The 46th 100-Drums Wangala Festival 2022 will take place in Wangala A.dam Chibragre close to Tula on November 10. The Hundred Drums Wangala Festival Committee is in charge of planning its three-day celebration following the harvest. More than a dozen Garo Hills dancing groups took part.

The Garo and Indigenous peoples commemorate the Post-Harvest Festival as a day of thanksgiving in honor of their benefactor, the deity Mishi Sargon, who brought about a record-breaking and abundant harvest in a season that had just concluded sowing.

The ongoing rites and celebrations last for roughly three to four days in a simple Wangala ceremony, which is still practiced by the “Sonsarek” in some areas of the Garo Hills and neighboring Bangladesh. The celebrations are accompanied by buffalo horn trumpets (traditional Gallo drum elongated). It’s also believed that this is when males and girls select their life companions.
The Wangala Festival commemorates the conclusion of a period of strife in honor of Sarjong, the sun deity. Winter officially starts on that date as well.

Story of the Wangala Festival

It is a celebration of thankfulness celebrated by the local Garo tribe to gift the gods a plentiful crop following the end of the planting season.

In some areas of the Garo Hills and the adjacent country of Bangladesh, “Sonsarek” still observes the authentic Wangala ritual, which takes him three to four days to complete.
People participate in the event by donning vibrant traditional robes and feathered headdresses, playing buffalo horns with his trumpets, and large, oval traditional drums called “dama” to the song. Move in unison.

The Garo people of Meghalaya’s cultural identity is intended to be preserved, protected, and promoted through the Wangala Festival of 100 Drums.

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Rituals for Wangala Festival

Tribes offer sacrifices at the Wangala Festival, also known as the 100 Drum Festival, to appease their principal god, Sarjong (Sun God). It can last a week and is often seen for two days. The “ragula” ritual, which is conducted on the first day, is held in the chief’s residence. Day two is referred to as “Kakkat.” Men and women of all ages dance while wearing feathered headgear and colorful costumes to the beat of long, oval drums. This is your moment to unwind, and for days the magnificent drums echo across the hills and valleys.

The popular dance style that is performed during the festival includes several modest modifications, with a pattern of two parallel lines serving as the primary motif. Both young and elderly enjoy the celebration. The line advances rhythmically as the men beat the drums. A primitive buffalo’s horn and flute are interspersed with booming music by the men’s “orchestra,” which also includes drums, gongs, and flutes. Young and old, men and women, the performers’ sense of pace is exceptional, and the audience is left with a lasting impression by the energizing dance.

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Festival of Wangara Highlights

The music during the Festival is its major draw. A celebratory dance to the beat of 100 drums and other upbeat folk instruments marks the ceremony’s conclusion. A primitive buffalo’s horn and flute are interspersed with booming music by the men’s “orchestra,” which also includes drums, gongs, and flutes. There are a number of activities played, including lugging stones and climbing bamboo poles drenched in oil. organized a fair to offer woven textiles, as well as regional crafts and wood.

Although there is no set date for the celebration, it is often observed around November, when winter officially begins. By staging plays and musical events, the government may use Wangala to spread awareness about concerns like crime, health, and other topics. The Meghalaya government is eager to boost visitor numbers in November and December, and Wangara would be a great venue for doing so.