India is popularly known as the land of festivals. You will find different festivals in every corner of this country. However, did you know the north eastern part of India has some fantastic festivals? Many people don’t know a lot of things about the ‘seven sisters’. We have handpicked some north east India festivals for you. So, if you are planning to visit this part of the country, you will be able to get this exceptional experience.
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Best North East India Festivals
This part of India is still less explored. Their culture is very different from rest of the India. In the following, we are covering seven festivals of north east India. We have picked one festival from each member of the seven sisters. Let’s find out:
1. Bihu Festival, Assam
Bohaag Bihu marks the start of the new year in Assam.
Besides beautiful tea gardens and one-horned rhinoceros, Assam is famous for the Bihu festival. This festival has established its identity through its vibrant singing and dancing form. However, what is Bihu actually?
In simple words, Bihu is an agricultural festival. Assam has three cultural Bihu festivals a year. Bohaag Bihu, the most famous one, is celebrated during seeding time in spring.
The local people dedicate the first day of Bohaag Bihu to cows. The next day they visit friends and extended family and perform singing and dancing. On the third day, they worship deities.
Kaati Bihu is celebrated during mid-October during the completion of paddy transplanting. This Bihu festival is a relatively less known occasion. The local people light up lamps to guide souls to heaven.
The last Bihu festival is popular as Maagh Bihu. This occasion is related to harvesting. The local people enjoy this occasion with buffalo fights, pot breaking, and bonfires.
2. Losar, Arunachal Pradesh
The Tibetan New Year is popularly known as Losar.
Losar is one of the most famous festivals of north east India. Having the influence of Tibetan culture, Arunachal Pradesh celebrates this occasion with complete enthusiasm. Many tribes including Memba, Nah, Khamba, and Monpa participate in this festival.
Losar is a three-day festival and it starts on 11th February every year. The occasion begins with all the priests offering prayer to the highest priest Palden Lhamo. The local people honor kings and leaders on the second day.
The final day of this occasion is known as Choe-Kyong Losar. On this day, local people offer prayer to the highest priest and tie prayer flags on their rooftops. However, this festival can extend for 12 to 15 days.
3. Moatsu Mong Festival, Nagaland
Moatsu Mong is one of the best festivals of North East India. This cultural festival is celebrated on the completion of the sowing season. Moatsu Mong festival is held in the Mokokchung district of Nagaland and it’s a three-day-long occasion.
This beautiful cultural festival starts from 1st May every year. Moatsu Mong festival is performed by the Ao tribe of Nagaland. On this cultural occasion, local men perform warrior dance and local women sing traditional songs. The local people also celebrate with local delicacies, beer, and bonfire.
4. Nongkrem Dance Festival, Meghalaya
The goat sacrifice ritual is known as ‘Pomblang’.
Nongkrem Dance is one of the most popular north east India festivals. This colorful occasion is dedicated to harvesting. The local Khasi tribe celebrates Nongkrem Dance during November by sacrificing goats to Goddess Ka Blei Synshar.
This festival is held in a place called Spit that is around 15 km away from Shillong. The local people wear traditional dresses and perform their tribal dance. Nongkrem Dance Festival is a five-day occasion.
5. Chapchar Kut, Mizoram
Chapchar Kut is an interesting agricultural festival in Mizoram. The local people of this state celebrate this occasion during plantation, in March every year. The key attraction of this festival is Cheraw, a beautiful bamboo dance.
Besides this special dance, local people also perform different traditional dances including Chheihlam, Sarlamkai, Chai, and Khuallam. Moreover, they also perform traditional songs. This festival includes art, flower, handicraft shows, concerts, and food festivals.
6. Lui-ngai-ni, Manipur
Lui-ngai-ni is one of the most popular festivals of north east India. This is another agricultural festival that takes place on 15th February every year. Lui-ngai-ni is mainly celebrated by all Naga tribes of Manipur. However, this festival is also popular in Nagaland.
The local people perform traditional dances during this occasion. Besides this, there’s a ritual of lighting the fire. They also perform mantras to bless the seeds.
7. Kharchi Puja, Tripura
Kharchi Puja is a popular festival in Tripura. Basically, this occasion was performed by royal households. However, the common people now participate in Kharchi Puja. This is a ten days long festival and includes animal sacrifice and worshiping 14 Gods. This festival takes place in July every year.
Conclusion
North east is a very important part of India. These north east India festivals have enriched the cultural heritage of the country. If you are ready to visit one of the states of seven sisters, make sure you are visiting there during these festivals. You will have an
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Ruchira is the founder of India Travelpedia, a writer by passion and profession. Besides writing, she’s a travel buff, foodie, and culture enthusiast.
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