DREE FESTIVAL
AT
ARUNACHALA PRADESH
The Apatanis observe a
series of agriculture rites and festival by sacrificing domestic fowls, animals
and eggs in different times, starting from the sowing to the harvesting periods
for ensuring of bumper yield of crops in the year such as Dree, Tamu, Metri,
Chandii and Yahung etc.
Chandii Tamu rite is performed during the sowing
period, Dree during every growing periods of crops and Yahung just before the
harvest.
The literary meaning of 'Dree' is one who
borrows or purchases food grains from others in order to meet out the shortage
by addition to one's old and new stock of food grains.
The Dree
Festival of Arunachal Pradesh is
an agricultural festival celebrated by the Apatani tribe of Arunachal Pradesh.
The Dree Festival is the biggest festival of the Apatanis and celebrated with
zest marked by sacrificial offerings and prayers.
The Dree
Festival of Arunachal Pradesh is celebrated on July 5 with
the pre-celebration rituals starting from the evening of July 4 every year. The
main and the biggest celebration of this festival happens at Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh.
During
the Dree Festival prayers are offered to please the 4 Gods – Tamu, Harniang,
Metii, and Danyi to bring in a bountiful harvest season. Fowls, eggs, and
animals are sacrificed during this festival as part of the rituals.
The festival is marked by grand ritual and
community feasts served with delicious rice/millet beer. Traditional songs and
dances are also displayed as part of the Dree celebrations. The day long
festival is also an occasion where womenfolk brew wine and visit homes of their
relatives and present them the wine as a symbol of love and affection.
The Dree
Festival of Arunachal Pradesh is
a celebration of the agricultural way of life for the Apatanis.
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