RARELY KNOWN TRIBES OF ARUNACHAL PRADESH

TUTSA:  The Tutsa are a small group of people inhabited in Changlang District. They have a distinctive culture and customs. The Pongtu is their annual festival celebrated in the month of May.

KHIMIYANG:  The khimiyang are the inhabitants of Lohit District. They are Buddhist by religion and linguistically and culturally akin to the Khamtis.

ADI  SOMUA:  The Adi Somua are a small group of people inhabited in Lohit District. They have their own socio-cultural pattern and are believed to be one of the sub-tribe/groups of the Adis.

NAH:  The Nah is a small community lived in five villages in Taksing area of Upper Subansiri District. They are Buddhist by religion. They practice Jhum  Cultivation and lived in pile house. They prefer joint family system and the society is patrilineal.

MEYOR: The Meyor is a scheduled tribe inhabits at Walong and Kibithoo District of Anjaw District. They call themselves as Charumba and profess to Mahayana Sect of Buddhism. The main festival is Sung-Khnu held in August/September. It is basically an agricultural festival celebrate after harvesting. Their village council is called Genpo.

PANGCHENPA: A small transhumance (seasonal movement) community lived in 8 villages of Zamithang circle of Tawang District. Their economy may be called as Pastoral type. They shifted from one place to other with animal herds. They prefer nuclear family. Their traditional village council is called Mangma.

INDIA LONGEST BRIDGE OVER LOHIT AND BRAHMAPUTRA RIVER WITH A SPANS OF 9.15 KM (5.69 MILEAGE) INAUGURATED

The Prime Minister of India, Mr Narendra Modi was inaugurated the India's longest bridge on 26th May'2017 connecting between two state of India viz., Arunachal Pradesh and Assam and created a history in North East India. The length of bridge is 9.15 Kilometers (5.69 Mileages) and has been built over the Lohit River in Arunachal Pradesh which is a major tributary of Brahmaputra River in Assam, from Dhola Ghat in South to Sadiya in North to connect the states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

Earlier, people of both the States used to cross the mighty Brahmaputra river by diesel engined driven Ferries/Boats. This journey from Dhola Ghat to Sadiya Ghat and vice-versa caused a lots of hardship to the people from Sadiya region of Assam and Dibang Valley and Lower Dibang Valley regions of Arunachal Pradesh. With the coming up of India's longest bridge connecting Dhola to Sadiya, the people of both the states would get a lots of  relief and untold happiness from boat /ferry ride in this stretch of Brahmaputra  and on the other hand, the journey from Sadiya Ghat to Dhola Ghat and vice-versa  by Ferries will remain nostalgic memories from now onwards.

MENGA CAVE

Menga Cave is situated at Daporijo, the district headquarter of Upper Subansiri, Arunachal Pradesh which can give immense satisfaction to the believer of the Lord Shiva. Large numbers of visitors and pilgrims thrown to this Holy Cave to offers prayer to Lord Shiva especially during the festival of Markar Sanskranti and Shivratri.

HISTORY OF INNER LINE CHECK GATE IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH, INDIA:

The Inner line check gate existed since days of Ahom administration in Brahmaputra and Suma Valleys in form of Forts, Durwars, Sadiya Hat, Daflagarh etc. Those were in charge of a Governor known as Gohain. He controlled and checked the illegal activities of the frontier tribes like Arunachalees, Nagas, Mizos, Khasis, Garos, Kacharies etc.

During British period, these forts and duwars of the Ahom administration were modified and renovated in the name and style of ‘Innerline’ with posting police forces to control check the illegal activities of both hills and plain tribe.

The main motives of introduction of Inner Line in those Districts were:

1.       To regulate the trade in Indian rubber between the hills and Plain people.

2.       To regulate the transfer of land in the hill areas,

3.       To control the extension of tea plantation and activities of timber businessmen into the hill areas,

4.       To control and check the untoward incident and conflicts of both hills and plain tribes,

5.       To check and prevent the barbaric activities of the frontiers tribes, who surrounded the Brahmaputra and Suma Valley.

The Indian Government continues the Inner Line policy of the British in the tribal territories. But the motives are different to those of the British. The main motive of the Inner Line system is to control and prevent the over exploitation of the tribal people in their areas by the non-tribal people in all aspects.

        The present Inner Line check gate location of the Arunachal is tabulated below:

Sl. No	Name of Check Gate	To Enter various District
1.	Bhalukpong	Tawang, Bomdila, Seppa
2.	Sejosa	Sejosa
3.	Balijan	Balijan, Tarasso
4.	Gophur	Itanagar, Naharlagun
5.	Gumto	Doimukh, Sagalee, Itanagar
6.	Banderdewa	Itanagar, Naharlagun
7.	Kimin and Yazali	Koloriang, Ziro, Daporijo etc.
8.	Dollungmukh	Dollungmukh
9.	Likhabali	Aalo, Basar, Daporijo etc.
10.	Ruskin	Pasighat, Yingkiong etc
11.	Paya	Tezu, Hawai etc.
12.	Hakugjuri	Khonsa etc.
13.	Namdang	Changlang etc.
14.	Santipur	Roing, Anini etc.
15.	Kakupater	Namsai
16.	Nanchik	Miao
17.	Paglam	Dambuk
18.	Jairampur	Jairampur

CULTURE AND CUSTOMS PRACTICES BY DIFFERENT TRIBE'S OF ARUNACHAL PRADESH

1) TATTOO MARKING :  Aka, Apatani, Nocte, Wancho (Wancho tattoo is called Hu).

2) WOOD CARVING :  Monpa, Wancho, Memba, Khamba and Nocte.

3) CARPET MAKING : Monpa, Sherdukpen, Memba, Khamba

4) PAPER MAKING : Monpa (Tawang Area)

5) BEAD WORKS : Wancho (Women of Chief Family)

6) MIGRATORY HABIT : Sulung or Puriok

7) CHIEFTAIN SYSTEM : Nocte, Wancho, Khamti

8) RANI SYSTEM  : Aka or Hursso

9) NOSE PLUG : Apatani  Women

10) HEAD HUNTING : Wancho

11) INDIGENOUS SALT : Apatani (e.g. Tapiyo)

12) SOCIAL STRATIFICATION : Wancho

13) STRONG VILLAGE COUNCIL : Adi Group, Apatani, Galo.

14) TABOO IN EATING ANIMAL MEAT : Idu Mishmi (Female)

15) ACROBATIC GAME : Apatani (e.g. Babo Boha)

16) MODE OF PUBLICITY : Beating of Log Drum by the Nocte and Wancho

NB: With the advent of so called modern culture, most of those inquisitive and remarkable culture, customs, tradition have rapidly been vanishing day by day. The society has to preserve all those culture and customs with a motive " Loss of culture is Loss of Identity" 

MEANING OF SOME TRIBE'S NAMES OF ARUNACHAL PRADESH

ADI: This community was referred as Abor means unruly or savage by plain people in Assamese language. The name Abor had been replaced as 'ADI' means 'Hill Man' as word Abor is derogatory term. 

APATANI: They call themselves as 'Tanii'. The word 'Apatani' has two syllable words Apa plus Tani. Here 'Apa' means 'regard or respect' addresses by the neighboring tribes and 'Tani' means belonging to descendent of Abotani, the earliest known forefather of the Apatani. But constitutionally remained as Apa + Tani.

HILL MIRI: The Hill Miri consist of the English word- Hill and local name Miri, which is several connotation as 'Go-Between', as 'Priest', a worshiper and left bank. The indigenous language 'Mi' stands for man and 'Ri' means River or water.

MIJI: This community calls themselves as Dhamai. The word 'Miji' is derived from Aka vocabulary, meaning 'Fire giving people'. Here 'Mi' means 'Fire' and 'Ji' means 'Giving.'

NYISHI: This community was referred as Dafla means unruly or savage in Assamese language. This word is a derogatory term and had been replaced as Nyishi means 'Man'.

NOCTE: Nocte means people living in an organised village community. Here 'Noc' means 'village' and 'Te' means 'People' i.e. village people or one who live in village.

TAGIN: The word 'Tagin' is believed to be given by the Tibetan Trader. This word might have been derived from 'Egin' means cloth which conceals the privacy of male members.

TANGSA: The word 'Tangsa' is an amalgamation of two words. Tang and Sa. Here 'Tang' means 'Hill' and 'Sa' means 'People' i.e. Hill people.

PARASURAM KUND

It is one of the important pilgrim place of North East India situated in the Lohit District of Arunachal Pradesh. According to the legend recorded in Kalika Purana, Parasuram wasted away his sins of killing his mother in the water of Brahmakund. Every year on Makar Sankranti Day, the pilgrims came from different parts of the country and take a holy dip in the kund to wash their sins away. A grand mela is organised on the occasion since 1985.

BHISMAK NAGAR

The fortress of Bhismak Nagar is situated near Roing in Lower Dibang Valley District. The name is originated after its King Bhismaka who built fortress that has an elongated  semi-circular shape extending over an area of about 10 sq. km. It was built on a flat piece of land jutted out towards the south from the northern hills. The main centre of the complex in the ruins of a brick built palace of 1860.52 m. plinth area, having three main halls, two extension rooms and six entrances in all. It has two magnificent brick built gateways. The fortress may dated between 12th to 16th Century A.D.

MALINITHAN ( Associated with the legend of Lord Krishna)

Malinithan is situated at Likabali in the foothills of the West Siang District. The place is associated with the legend of Lord Krishna and it is believed that on the way to Dwarka form Bhismaknagar, Lord Krishna and his beloved Rukmini were resting here and were offered the choicest flower to Goddess Parvati.

The architecture of the temple is of Orissan style. Important sculptures are Indra on Airavata, Kartikeya on Peacock, Surya on Chariot, Ganesha with mouse, huge Nandi Bull and Bramatical images etc. Most of these images are made of granite and sandstone.The archaeological findings of Malinithan can be dated back to 10-12 centuries AD. Malini-Mela is organized every year in April correlating the Basanti Puja. First excavation in 1968.

TAWANG MONASTERY

Tawang Monastery is one of the oldest and biggest Monastery of Mahayana Sect in Asia founded by Mera Lama Loder Gyatso in 1681 AD. It is located atop a hillock at a height of about 10000 ft. above the mean sea level near Tawang,  Headquarters of Tawang District, State Arunachal Pradesh, India. The Largest fortified complex covering an area of 135 sq. metres, enclosed by a compound wall of 610 metre long, and comprising of 65 residential buildings, 10 other structures lanes and by-lanes etc. The main Gompa as well as the Library building are the most important among them. The library has valuable old scriptures mainly Kanjur and Tanjur numbering 850 bundles. There is a museum inside the Monastery which has been established since 13-10-2001. the Monastery is locally called as Tawang Golden Namgya Lhatse.

SIDHESHWAR NATH TEMPLE (SHIVA LINGA) AT ZIRO

Shiva Linga is said to be the tallest Shiv Linga in entire Asia with 25 feet tall and 22 ft width is miraculous discovered at Kardo forest near Ziro(Hapoli) in deep Jungle on August 2004. Since then million of devotees from all over the world come here to offer their prayers, worship and faith of Lord Shiva and get blessing from Lord Shiva. It is also believed that the goddess of water, the Ganga lives with Lord Shiva as the constant flow of water from the base of the Lingam can be clearly seen.

TALLEY VALLEY

One should not leave Ziro without visiting this biodiversity hotspot of this plateau, which is nearly 32 KM away from  Hapoli Township. Talley Valley is declared as "Talley Wild Life Sanctuary " because of having rich diverse flora and fauna ranging from sub-tropical to alpine forests. It is covered with impenetrable vegetations marked by giant silver fir trees, a variety of rhododendron, orchids, ferns and varieties of bamboo.

ITAFORT

ITAFORT:  The capital of Arunachal Pradesh, Itanagar is derived from the historical fort called Itafort located in the heart of the Papum Pare District. It can be dated back to 1350 to 1550 AD and it is estimated that more than 80 lacs pieces of bricks were used to build this fort.  There are three gates on three sides viz., Eastern, Western and Southern. There is a Archaeological Museum situated at Western Gate. Locally Itafort was known as  Hita-Rokpo.

ABOUT MY BLOG

The Arunachal Travel Guide Blog is an attempt to provide comprehensive information about various tourist destination places within Arunachal Pradesh in particular and North East India in general. In this blog I've given more emphasis of Ziro valley, District Headquater of Lower Subansiri, Arunachal Pradesh, India. The Apatanis who inhabits in this beautiful Ziro Valley basically worships nature god like Sun & Moon which is reflected during festivals like Myoko, Murung, Dree etc. But in recent past with the advent of Christian missionaries in Arunachal Pradesh, almost 70% of Apatanis people are converted into Christian. Besides practicing paddy-cum-fish cultivation, they are expert in the art of handlooms and handicrafts. Ziro is rich in biological diversity having varied flora and fauna which adds to its potential for development of almost every possible kind of tourism ranging from fishing and hunting to the high altitude trekking and roaming the orchid filled forests of the lower slops.