Learn all about Arunachal Pradesh culture
India has diversifying culture and traditions. Every community and local people of India have its traditions and rituals. They have different costumes, ornaments, and ways of living.
Indian culture is rich in heritage, values, ethics, rituals, and many more things. Each state of India has a unique and diverse culture that needs to be explored to understand cultural values.
In this article, we will cover everything about the culture of Arunachal Pradesh. The culture of Arunachal Pradesh has so many things that will amaze you and excite you to visit such a beautiful place.
If you want to explore this place or plan for a trip, go through this article first. But before that, get some information about this state of India.
Let’s look at some amazing facts about the Arunachal Pradesh culture.
Arunachal Pradesh: One of the Seven Sisters
Arunachal Pradesh is a North-Eastern state of India. The North-Eastern region of India has eight states, including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Sikkim, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Tripura. Except for Sikkim, the remaining seven states are called the seven sisters of India.
It is the largest state in the seven sisters states of India. It shares international borders with Bhutan (160 km), the Tibet region of China (1080 km), and Myanmar (440 km).
The total length of the international border shared by Arunachal Pradesh is 1680 km. Hence, it is the third state of India, which has the largest international border.
It is a land of mountains, rivers, and lakes. The literal meaning of the name of Arunachal Pradesh is ‘Land of Rising Sun.’ And this state indeed receives sunlight first. The Dong village of Arunachal Pradesh is the easternmost village where the sun rises at 5:00 am. Itanagar is the capital of Arunachal Pradesh.
Some Historical Facts about Arunachal Pradesh
Let see some historical events related to Arunachal Pradesh before diving into the list of 15 amazing facts about Arunachal Pradesh culture.
Modern History
In British India, Arunachal Pradesh was known as North-East Frontier Agency. Initially, it was part of Assam, and in 1972, it received the status of Union Territory. It became the state of India in 1987.
Arunachal Pradesh received its name from North East Frontier Agency to Arunachal Pradesh by Sri Bibhabasu Das Shastri and K.A.A. Raja on 20 January 1972.
Ancient History
There is a belief that Arunachal Pradesh was mentioned in Hindu sacred texts like the Mahabharata and the Kalika Purana. It is also said that Lord Krishna married Rukmani in this state.
The head monk of Tibet Buddhism is known as Dalai Lama. In Tibet, Dalai Lama is a spiritual leader who regulates the government of Tibet. But, what’s the importance of Arunachal Pradesh for Tibet?
The reason is the sixth Dalai Lama was born in the Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh. Due to this, it has a diverse and rich culture.
15 Amazing Facts About Arunachal Pradesh Culture
Arunachal Pradesh is a secluded place that doesn’t have so many visitors. That’s why people are not aware of its beauty and culture.
Here are 15 amazing facts about Arunachal Pradesh culture. Please read them and see how much you know about this state and its culture.
Languages and Dialects
Arunachal Pradesh has many languages, making it linguistically diverse and rich. Its official language is English. But the most common language used by local people of Arunachal Pradesh is Hindi.
Hence, we can say that English and Hindi are the main languages of Arunachal Pradesh.
50 different languages and dialects make Arunachal Pradesh a linguistically rich state of India.
The most speaking languages of Arunachal Pradesh are Nyishi, Adi, Tagin, Wancho, Assamese, Nepali, Mishmi, Chakma, Bhotia, Apatani, Bengali, Sadri, and Bhojpuri as well. All these languages play an essential role in Arunachal Pradesh culture.
Home To Many Tribes
Arunachal Pradesh’s culture is unique because it has 26 tribes and 100 sub-tribes. It is the only state of India that records the highest number of the tribal community.
Most of the population of Arunachal Pradesh belongs to the twelve powerful tribes. These tribes include Adi, Apatani, Tagin, Galo, Mishmi, Momba, Nyishi, Naga, Sherdukpen, Aka, Khampti, and Singpho.
The people of these tribes have their traditions, cuisine, and rituals. The wide range of tribal communities in Arunachal Pradesh gives it cultural diversity.
Out of the many tribes of Arunachal Pradesh, the Nyishi tribe is the largest tribal community in the state.
Although the origin of the tribal community in the state is still not clear, according to the people of Arunachal Pradesh, these tribes came in Arunachal Pradesh from Burma, which is presently known as Myanmar and Tibet also.
If you have visited this state, you would never see the boundaries made by these tribal communities. But in actual they have boundaries around their territories. Although they have invisible boundaries, they still live in peace and unity.
Every tribe of Arunachal Pradesh has its traditions, cultures, regulations, and standards.
India’s Largest Monestry Is Here!!
Arunachal Pradesh culture has a spiritual connection with Tibet and Buddhism. The largest Buddhist monastery of India ‘Tawang Monastery’ is situated in Arunachal Pradesh. In the world, it is the second-largest monastery. It is the main tourist attraction in North East India.
The world’s largest Monastery is in Tibet, named as Potala Palace. Although Arunachal Pradesh has many Tibetan monasteries, the three main monasteries are Tawang, Bomdila, and Urgelling.
In Arunachal Pradesh, the monasteries are also known as Gompa. The Tawang Gompa has a library that preserves ancient texts, books, scriptures, and manuscripts. The famous Tibetan Buddhist texts, Kangyur and Tangyur are saved in this library.
Wash Your Sins in Parshuram Kund
In Indian culture, pilgrims and holy places play a very important role. One such sacred place in Arunachal Pradesh is Parshuram Kund, situated in the lower reaches of the Lohit River.
There is a mythological story connected with this sacred Kund. When Lord Parashuram killed his mother with an axe on his father’s order, Rishi Jamadagni, he couldn’t remove the axe from his hand.
The axe reminds him about the crime which he made. When he reached Lohit River, he washed his hand in that river, and the axe got removed from his hand. That’s why this place is known as Parashuram Kund.
Many local people of the state said the importance of Parashuram Kund that it washes the sins because of that mythological story. Mythological tales raise other people’s interest in Arunachal Pradesh culture.
Religion
India is the only country where people of different religions and origins live together in peace and harmony. Therefore, Arunachal Pradesh has other religions in syncretism. The diversity in religion makes our Indian culture Unique.
The major part of the state population has belonged to Christianity and Hinduism. Despite these two religions, there are other religions, including Buddhism, Islam, Donyi-Polo, which means Sun and Moon, and some people are of other religions.
The people of Tibetan Buddhism mostly live in the north and northwest region of Arunachal Pradesh.
Festivals and Fairs in Arunachal Pradesh
The tribal community of Arunachal Pradesh celebrates so many festivals. It has a wide range of tribes, and they have their own culture and religion. That’s why it has a variety of festivals to celebrate.
Every festival and fair of Arunachal Pradesh has cultural, agricultural, and religious importance. The most famous and glorious festivals are as Losar Festival, Dree Festival, Mopin Festival, Boori Boot, Solung, Siang River Festival, and Pangsau Pass Winter Festival.
The Losar Festival, also known as the Agrarian Festival, is celebrated on the blossoming of Apricot trees. This festival has another importance: it is also celebrated as the Tibetan New Year.
Folklore of Arunachal Pradesh
If you are interested in folklore or folktales, you must visit this state. There is much folklore said by the local and tribal people of Arunachal Pradesh. There is the story of belief, myths, rituals, and many more.
All the folklore is exciting and thrilling to listen to by the people. According to this story, there were two eggs. One of them is about the creation of the earth. They break up and give birth to Earth and Sky when they collide. And all the other things are born from the union of these two supernatural beings.
Food and Cusine of Arunachal Pradesh
Rice is the staple food of Arunachal Pradesh. That’s why it is common in most of the dishes of every tribe. Except for rice, you will see lots of differences in the food and cuisine of the tribes of Arunachal Pradesh. A few meters away, you will find variety in their cuisine.
The Uniqueness of their rice dish is that they cook rice in bamboo shoots, which gives a unique flavor and aroma to the rice. They not only used it for cooking but also for eating as well.
Never forget to try Apong !!! It is the traditional drink of Arunachal Pradesh, made from rice. Maura is another beverage in the cuisine of Arunachal Pradesh. But it is made from Millet.
Momos are the most famous food in India are part of the Arunachal Pradesh cuisine. And the signature dish of the state is Thukpa.
Unique Dance Forms and Music of Arunachal Pradesh
Like any other culture, Arunachal Pradesh culture has there own dance forms and music. The socio-cultural Uniqueness in Arunachal Pradesh is reflected in their dance and music forms. All the dance forms and music have moral and ethical values.
Every people in the state has a love for dance and music. They celebrate each festival with their folk dance and music.
The famous dance forms are Mishmi Classical Dance, Wanko Dance, Khampti Dance, Ponong Dance. These dance forms and music are part of Arunachal Pradesh culture.
Art and Craft of Arunachal Pradesh
Tribal people of the state are so talented that they earn their livelihood by selling their art and craft items.
The Thangka painting is the most famous artwork of Arunachal Pradesh. In the craft items, the most used material is bamboo and cane.
The tribal people of the state made a variety of things through bamboo and cane-like baskets, hats, belts, carpets.
Traditional Costumes of The Tribes
Due to the difference in the culture and rituals of the different tribes, there is a difference in their costumes. The common costumes are skirts, shawls, wraps, and lungis. The patterns on the cloths represent the tribal community of the state.
Besides their traditional clothes and attire, they also tattoo their body parts.
Wedding Rituals
Interestingly, the Galo tribe of Arunachal Pradesh has four different wedding ceremonies such as Karoo, Karmwk, Kartv, and Karsuk. In Arunachal Pradesh, two types of marriages have happened. One is arranged marriage, and another one is eloping.
In their rituals, they splatter paint on each other on the wedding day. Another ritual is that the groom puts a yellow chain around the bride’s neck. It is part of Arunachal Pradesh culture.
Social Customs
Agriculture is part of the tribal community of the state. They mostly use the Jhumm cultivation method, their traditional way of cultivation.
Despite this, every tribe has its way of cultivation. They primarily worship nature. As per their customs, they use animals to sacrifice for their god.
Major Occupations in Arunachal Pradesh
Most of the population of the state depends on agricultural activities. Some of the people in the tribal community are in handicraft works. They mainly focus on the handwork and produce various items that are famous in Arunachal Pradesh, even in the other states.
Mainly, Apantanis, Adis, and Hill Miris tribes are good at handicraft work with bamboo, weaving Sherdukpen shawls. They are also experts in weaving shawls and jackets. Some of them are bamboo bangles, weaved bags, colorful ornaments.
Major Industries in Arunachal Pradesh
The major industries are agricultural, minerals-based, horticulture, hydropower, and handicraft.
The horticulture industry is a booming industry because this land has 601 orchids and some other species of flowers.
Due to the river valley system, they generate a good amount of electricity through a hydropower plant.
The topography of this state is favorable for the cultivation of medicinal plants and aromatic plants. The flowering landscapes are the attraction of tourists, which will result in the growth of the tourism sector.
Some Other Facts About Arunachal Pradesh
Here are some other facts that will give you extra knowledge about this state.
State Animal
The state animal is Gayal. In the local language, it is also known as Mithun. It is also the state animal of Nagaland.
State Bird
The great hornbill is the state bird of Arunachal Pradesh. This bird is only found in the Indian subcontinent and southeast Asia.
State Tree
The state tree is Hollong which is not only the state tree of this state but of Assam as well. This tree has sacred values along with economic values.
State Flower
Paradise of Botanist or Orchid state of India is another name of the state. And the other thing is the state flower Arunachal Pradesh is Foxtail orchid.
Highest Mountain Peak
Kangto is the highest mountain peak with an altitude of 7090 m. This peak comes in the Eastern Himalayan range.
Permission required to explore
If you do not live in this state but want to explore this beautiful land, you need to have a permit for this. After getting permission, you can visit and explore this land of mountains and orchids for 15 days only.
No Airports
This is quite shocking, but it’s true. You need to take a road trip from Assam to this state to reach there. But before that, you have to land at Assam Airport, near Arunachal Pradesh.
In the future, the airport will be in the state’s capital very soon. Because the Itanagar Airport is under construction.
Largest forest cover
Arunachal Pradesh has around 82% of the area of the state as forest cover. Its forest is also part of the Himalayan biodiversity hotspot.
Protects four major cats
The most famous National Park is Namdapha. It protects the rare and endangered species of plants and animals. Here, the four cat species are also under protection. In this way, it conserves biodiversity in our country.
This beautiful land has so many things to explore. This land has a unique culture, religion, tradition, rituals, and so on. The tribal community of this land protects their culture and transfer their rituals and traditions to their generations.
Everything about the Arunachal Pradesh culture, tribe, and beauty is incredible. That’s why our Indian culture is incredible. This place gives you spiritual peace and calms your mind.
This list of 15 amazing facts about Arunachal Pradesh culture will help you know more about this state.
I hope you will get enough information about the Arunachal Pradesh culture. If you want more news like this, let us know in the comment section.
