Festivals

Traditionally, Wangala is the biggest festival of the Garo community. Wangala is a post harvest festival, when the Garos give thanks to Misi Saljong (also known as Pattigipa Ra∙rongipa), the sun god, for blessing the people with a rich harvest. It is celebrated for two to three days – or up to a week – by two or three collaborating villages across the season (from September to December), with different villages setting different dates for the occasion. With the advent of Christianity, Wangala is only celebrated as token attempt to conserve and promote the ancient heritage of the Garo tribe and to exhibit the culture and tradition of the region. True traditional styles of celebrating Wangala can still be found in a few remote “Songsarek” (animistic) villages.

 

The 100 Drum Wangala Festival, the modern day variant is a convergence of multiple festivals on one single stage held on the first week of November. Celebrated for the first time ever in December of 1976, it has slowly gained popularity and attracts hundreds of tourists every year. The 100 Drums Wangala Featival is held for 3 days at Asanang in West Garo Hills, where performers (not necessarily Songsarek) are invited from all over Garo Hills, and even from far off places such as Karbi Anglong, Tripura, Nagaland and Bangladesh which have sizeable pockets of Garo inhabitants.

Garo Hills being predominantly Christian, Chritian festivals like Christmas and Easter are celebrated in a big way. Christmas in Garo Hills is unique experience, the festivities starting from as early as the first week of December and through to the first week of January, when young and old gather in groups to perform Song Kristan and the entire region dons a festive look with light decorations. Participants in Song Kristan sing Garo Christmas songs and dance alongside to the beat of drums, with the celebrations reaching the euphoric high on Chritmas Day and New Year’s Day with multiple villages converging togther.