Celebrate Solung Festival on Your Arunachal Tour

The Solung festival is a popular agriculture festival celebrated by the Adi tribe in Arunachal Pradesh. The word “So-lung” has been derived from two words, E (so) – Bros fontalis/Mithun, main animal sacrificed during the festival and a (lung) meaning group (herds of mithun) of Esos. It is celebrated from 1st to 3rd September and is the most important festival of the Adis. Esos (Mithuns) are sacrificed and ponung (folk dance) is performed by unmarried girls wherein the Miri (shaman) recites all about the origin of the adis and animals etc. comes into universe.

Solung is celebrated to worship god for prosperity, good harvest, and good cultivation of rice and fruits. Adi community of Arunachal celebrates it with great enthusiasm, Solung is celebrated to protect the crop from insects, sufficient rains, and others.

History:

According to the mythology of the Adi Tribe, ‘Doying-Bote’ was the God of heaven who came in contact with Kine-nane, the Goddess of food-crops. Upon trying to copulate with Kine-nane, two of her monsters, Totel-Mone and Dubeng-Mone intervened and ripped off his genitalia, scattering his sperm over different places from which paddy crops began sprouting. When Kine-nane found out that human beings were starving for food, she sent the paddy seeds through a dog with the condition that she be worshiped.
Since then, the men of the Adi Tribe have been producing paddy in abundance to meet their food requirements. Kine-nane also helped them acquire Mithun(bison), and pig, the two animals which were sacrificed at the time of Solung. During Solung, people try to appease both Doying-Bote and Kine-nane. It is believed that if they are pleased, the former will appear in the form of clouds and rains and the latter will appear in the form of great fertility of soil which serves as an omen of their union. This in turn will lead to high yields of crops, more animals like mithun, pigs etc and ultimately wealth and prosperity for men. Every evening during the five days, the Shaman, also called Miri, sings Solung Abung, a hymn through which he narrates the stories about the origin of man, animals and plants, ancestry of the Adis, lives and deeds of the Adi Heroes. 

Rituals:

The celebrations last for five days and are divided into three parts: 

• Sopi-Yekpi/Limir-Libom
• Binnyat 
• Ekop

The first phase of the festival, known as Sopi-Yekpi also called Ardo-Bado or Limir Libom, is the inaugural day during which pigs and mithuns are sacrificed and offered.  
The second phase of the Solung festival is Binnyat, where Kine Nane is worshipped and offered food and Apong ( local rice beer). Ponung songs and dances are performed by women folk during the festival.
The last phase of the festival is called Ekop where men assemble at the village dormitory generally known as ‘Mosup’ to make bows and arrows, which are fastened on the doors of every house in the village. The ritual is performed for protection against evil spirits.
It is common amongst Adi people to exchange gifts in the form of meat and Apong (rice beer). There's no better way to get to know the Adi tribe’s culture and socio-economic value than to experience this festival. 
Solung Festival is best witnessed in Pasighat, which is quite thickly populated by the Adi Tribe. 

Where to enjoy Solung Festival in Arunachal Pradesh?

The best place to experience the Solung Festival is in Pasighat, which is densely populated by the Adi tribe. The festival is characterized by colorful celebrations, traditional music, and communal feasting, making it an enriching experience for visitors interested in tribal culture

OurGuest recommended Homestays in Passighat:
Donyi Hango Camp and Abor Country River Camp
 

Tourist Attractions in Passighat:

Daying Ering Wildlife Sanctuary: This sanctuary, and a couple of other facilities (school, hospital) in Pasighat are named after Dr. D. Ering. Over 25% of the sanctuary is covered with water bodies and hence attracts many migratory birds from Mongolia and Siberia.
The sanctuary is surrounded by the Siang River (Brahmaputra) and is home to many endangered species of birds.

Pangin: Around 60 km from Pasighat, this is the point where the green water of River Siang meets the blue water of River Siyom and presents a marvelous sight.

Kekar Monying: This is a mountain cliff near Rottung and is an important historical place too. In 1911, it was here where the Adi tribesmen put up a strong fight against the British. It is a must visit during your Arunachal tour  

Komsing Hanging Bridge: The Komsing Hanging Bridge is a pedestrian suspension bridge in the village of Komsing, under Panging circle of West Siang district in Arunachal Pradesh. The 395-metre-long hanging bridge is the only mode of communication for nearly 9,000 villagers spread across eight hamlets. It was built across the Siang River and it is considered to be the longest suspension bridge in the state of Arunachal Pradesh.

How to reach Passighat?

By Flight: Pasighat has a small regional airport and you can reach Pasighat via helicopter service from Dibrugarh and Itanagar. The closest airport that’s used for commercial travel to Pasighat is 167 km away in Dibrugarh.
By Train: The closest railway station to Pasighat is Murkong Selek at a distance of 35 kilometers. From here, you can get a prepaid taxi or bus service.
By Road: Pasighat can be accessed from two major cities in Assam, Dibrugarh and Guwahati. You can also access Pasighat from Itanagar. The distance between Dibrugarh and Pasighat is approximately 154 km and takes roughly 3 hours or so.
 

Please Note: Foreigners traveling to Arunachal Pradesh need a Protected Area Permit (PAP), and Indians need an Inner Line Permit  (ILP).

If you wish to read more about festivals in North-East India, you can visit our blog about unexplored festivals in North-East India.

Written by Omanso Tayang: 

Omanso, an avid backpacker with an engineering background from Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, returned to his home state after completing his education in Chennai & NERIST. Passionate about promoting the lesser-known destinations, Oman has traveled across most parts of Arunachal to find unique locations like Anini, Dong Valley, Namsai etc. When not exploring, Oman enjoys camping, trekking, dancing and going on culinary adventures.

For a customized Arunachal tour experience you can contact us at +91-7669503993 or email to contact@ourguest.in