Celebrate Solung Festival on Your Arunachal Tour

Solung Festival – A Colorful Celebration of Arunachal’s Adi Tribe

The Solung Festival is one of the most important agricultural festivals of Arunachal Pradesh, celebrated with great enthusiasm by the Adi tribe every year from 1st to 3rd September. Rooted in mythology and tradition, this vibrant festival is dedicated to Kine-nane, the goddess of crops, and Doying-Bote, the god of heaven, seeking blessings for a good harvest, prosperity, and protection from pests.

Origin and Mythology

According to Adi folklore, Doying-Bote once tried to unite with Kine-nane, but two monsters intervened, scattering his essence across the land, from which paddy crops began to grow. Kine-nane later gifted humans with paddy seeds, mithun (bison), and pigs, instructing them to worship her for abundance. To this day, the Adi people perform rituals to please these deities for fertile soil, plentiful crops, and wealth.

Rituals and Celebrations

The Solung Festival is celebrated in three main phases:

Sopi-Yekpi / Limir-Libom – The inaugural day when pigs and mithuns are sacrificed and offered.

Binnyat – Worship of Kine-nane, offering food and Apong (local rice beer), along with Ponung songs and dances performed by women.

Ekop – Men craft bows and arrows in the village dormitory (Mosup) and place them at house doors for protection against evil spirits.

Throughout the celebration, villagers exchange gifts of meat and Apong, and the evenings echo with the Solung Abung – hymns narrating the tribe’s origins and heroes.

Best Place to Experience Solung

The best destination to witness the Solung Festival is Pasighat, the cultural heartland of the Adi tribe. Here, the celebrations are marked by colorful traditional attire, community feasts, folk dances, and an unmatched festive spirit.

Tourist Attractions in and Around Pasighat

Daying Ering Wildlife Sanctuary – A paradise for birdwatchers with migratory species from Mongolia and Siberia. 

Pangin Viewpoint – Where the green waters of the Siang meet the blue waters of the Siyom 

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 Pasighat

By Air: Nearest commercial airport is in Dibrugarh (167 km). Helicopter services available from Dibrugarh and Itanagar.

By Train: Nearest station – Murkong Selek (35 km).

By Road: Well-connected to Dibrugarh, Guwahati, and Itanagar.

Permit Note: Foreign tourists need a Protected Area Permit (PAP) and Indian nationals require an Inner Line Permit (ILP) for Arunachal Pradesh

Travel Tip: To truly immerse in the celebration, stay at local homestays like Donyi Hango Camp or Abor Country River Camp for an authentic cultural experience.

OurGuest recommended Homestays in Passighat:

Donyi Hango Camp and Abor Country River Camp  

Plan your Arunachal tour around September to witness this once-a-year tribal spectacle!

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.

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