Folk Traditions of the North East

Folk traditions if the northeastern region are culturally rich and diverse, with a multitude of indigenous traditions that reflect the unique heritage and lifestyle of its various ethnic groups.

Each state in the region has its own distinct folk traditions, rituals, dances, songs, and customs. Here are some notable folk traditions from different states in Northeast India:

Lai Haraoba

Lai Haraoba, a spring festival celebrated during April-May to please traditional deities (Umang Lai) and ancestors as per the Sanamahism tradition. Creation myths, belief and superstitions, the concept of birth and rebirth according to the Meitei philosophy, are ingrained in the rituals of Lai Haraoba.

Lui Ngai Ni

Lui Ngai Ni is the seed-sowing festival celebrated by the Naga tribes of Manipur India, usually falling the month of February-March. The festival heralds the season of seed sowing and marks the start of the year for the Nagas.

The festival commemorates the season of seed sowing and is also embarks the beginning of the new year for the people of Naga clan. The name Lui-Ngai-Ni is derived from three different Naga dialects – the first word “Lui” stands for Luiraphanit”, which means seed sowing festival in Tangkhul language. The second word “Ngai” is a Rongmei word which also means festival, and the last one “Ni” derives from Mao language which also means seed sowing festival.

Sekrenyi festival

The biggest festival of the Angami tribe, Sekrenyi falls on the 25th day of the Angami month of Kezei (usually February). Member of the community take part in rituals for purification and cleansing of body and the souls. A highlight of Sekrenyi is the Thekra Hie, when the village youths gather and croon traditional songs throughout the day.

Pawl Kut

Pawl Kut is the greatest of all the festivals celebrated in the state of Mizoram. Once all the harvests are over, this Harvest Festival is celebrated with great fun. The festival is usually celebrated either in the month of December or January.

Neermahal Water Festival

A 3-days cultural festival in the picturesque fairytale royal palace located in the middle of the Rudrasagar Lake build by Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya at 1930 A.D.

Dree Festival

Celebrated by the Apatani tribe of Arunachal Pradesh every year in the month of July to mark agricultural season and offerings sacrifices and prayers to the Gods.

Dree festival is one of the best festivals in Arunachal Pradesh, during this feast, delicious and tangy rice and millet beer are served followed by traditional dances and songs performed by the tribe people. During this festival, cucumber is distributed to the guests and participants as this symbolizes the sacredness of vegetables and perhaps for fruitful agriculture. Throughout the three day festival games and sports are actively partaken and this results as a source of entertainment.

Saga Dawa

Saga Dawa is the most important Buddhists festival celebrated in Sikkim, Kalimpong, Darjeeling and across the world. The day marks the birth, attainment of enlightenment and parinirvana of Lord Buddha. It falls on the 15th day (full moon) of the fourth Tibetan lunar month.

Ambubachi Mela

The festival of Kamakhya temple of Guwahati and held every year during monsoon (mid-June). It is a ritual of austerities celebrated with ‘Tantric rites’ during which the temple remain closed for three days.

Ambubachi Mela is one of the biggest congregations of eastern India. The belief is that Kamakhya embodies the mother cult, the Shakti. During the period of Ambubachi from the seventh to the tenth day of the Hindu month of “Asadha”, the doors of the shrine are closed to all as it is believed that Goddess Kamakhya goes through the annual cycle of menstruation. On the twelfth day, the doors are opened ceremonially and a big fair held at the temple premises on that day.

Ambubachi means spoken with water and it also implies that the rains expected during this month make the earth fertile and ready for procreation. Daily worship is suspended during this period. All agricultural work like digging, ploughing, sowing, and transplanting of crops are forbidden. Widows, Brahmacharis and Brahmins avoid cooked food during these days.