[ Lod Kojee ]
The Dree is the main agricultural festival of Taniis (Apatanis) of Lower Subansiri District, Arunachal Pradesh and is celebrated annually in the month of July. The Taniis are ardent agriculturalists and the origin of Dree is related to the origin of paddy seeds and agricultural practices of Taniis. The Dree rituals are performed to propitiate and appease various deities to protect the crops from pests, diseases, natural calamities, outbreak of epidemics and for good health and prosperity of mankind.
The Deities are: –
- Danyi – the Danyi (Sun) is worshiped for prosperity of mankind and its Protection. In the olden days, neither the ‘Danyi Agyang’ (Altar) was erected nor any mithun was sacrificed during the Dree rituals. The erection of ‘Danyi Agyang’(Altar) at Nenchalya (Old Ziro) was introduced in 1967 for the first time, as a mithun had to be sacrificed for community feast, donated by Lt. Millo Kacho, G.B. of Tajang Village.
- Tammu- The Tammu (Deity) is appeased by sacrificing fowls and eggs at the altar (Agyang), and is invoked to destroy all pests and harmful insects that damage crops in the agricultural fields.
- Metii- The Metii (deity) is appeased by sacrificing fowls and eggs at altar, to stop the outbreak of epidemic & famine and also to destroy pests and harmful insects in paddy fields.
- Medder – The Medder ritual is performed for purification and cleansing of villages and agricultural fields from unfavorable elements.
- Mepping – Mepping (deity) is propitiated to seek blessing for healthy crops and well-being of mankind.
The Dree rites have been performed since time immemorial by the ancestors of the Taniis (Apatanis) even during the course of their migration from Iipyo Supung and Miido Supung (Mythological Places) to Anii Supun (present Tanii Valley).
In the olden days, each Apatani Village performed the Dree rites separately in their respective villages during the months of June and July as per the convenience of the Dree Goras (village level organizing committee) without consulting the other villages. While performing the Dree ritual in the villages, the priests had to put on traditional priestly dress specified for Dree ritual.
It is described in the Dree song as:
“Aachi-Kharii lu,
Tasu- Byotu mi tiinyo Giito la,
Tase -Nara mi ponyo giito la,
Takhe-Hubyu mi konyo giito la.”
Tasu -Byotu and Tase-Nara are unique fiber-knitted hat and cane haversack mounted with fiber extracted from a particular tree called (Tama Sanii) used as a rain shield. These are used during war related rituals. ‘Takhe-Hubyu’ is a skeletal scabbard of a machete. This scabbard is made of a particular variety of cane called ‘Takhe’. Putting on these dresses Aachi-Kharii, the priest led a small procession in the village followed by the goras and some boys who went around the lapang (community platform) and through the village. Finally, they went to their respective Dree Altar where they sacrificed the fowls and the eggs that they carried. After performing the Dree rite, taboos were strictly observed without working in the fields, going to jungle and felling trees in the groves and the jungle.
Inception of Centralized Common Festival:
Till 1967, the Tanii community did not have a common festival of its own, which was centrally celebrated at a common place, on a fixed date, and where its entire members could participate like other communities of our country. In the mid-sixties, during my student days at the Banaras Hindu University and at Jawaharlal Nehri College, Pasighat, I used to regularly attend festivals like Diwali,Holi,Mopin, Solung etc., with my college friends. During those visits, I often interacted with some of the members of local organizing committees to know about the activities of their festivals. The enthusiasm shown by them in promoting their festivals was a source of inspiration for me to initiate a move for a centralized common festival of our society.
At Pasighat, I had informal chats with local senior students and the public elders who were involved in cultural affairs, including the students of the then Subansiri District for sharing their views about initiation for a common festival of the Taniis, unified at a centralized place on a fixed date, thereby enabling the entire members of community to participate like other societies. The Tanii society had two major annual festivals viz., Myoko and Murung and several other individual and village level rites and rituals performed throughout the year. But not a single festival or rite was performed at a common place on a fixed date participated by the members of the entire community together. On minute observations, it was seen that all the festivals/rites performed by us could not be modified and converted into a centralized common festival due to the mythological rigidities except ‘Dree’ which had lesser rigidity. Hence, after much consultation and thought processes, the ‘Dree’ was finally selected for a partial modification without affecting its original and traditional identity for a common festival to be celebrated by entire members of the society at a centralized place on a fixed date.
As per the modified programme, the centralized celebration is being held for four days every year. On 1st day, the Priests perform the rites in their respective villages as per their traditional system of the olden days. On the 2nd day the entire populace of the valley participate at the centralized venue where common altar is erected. The inaugural and day long programme – reception of the chief guest and the invitees, flag hoisting, cultural displays, speeches, games and sports. In the evening, cultural programme is organized. On 3rd day, cultural meeting, community feast are organized, and in the evening cultural competitions are organized. Finally, on 4th day dismantling of sheds and departure of participants.
Financial Resources:
In the traditional system, the logistics for organizing the Dree rites were mobilized through contributions by the public in kinds only, but the requirements for organizing a common festival for the entire community was much greater and multidimensional.
In those days, there was neither any NGO nor any local charitable institution that could come forward to help in organizing the festival. Therefore, the most arduous task was the raising of funds for organizing the festival. It is cited in the Dree mythology that:-
“Niih-Aakha, pabo -Gora hii salin la,
Aachi-Kharii,Aabang-Khatii hii salin la,
Giitu-Giira hii dulin la,
Siigru-Yachu mi giilih,
Siikha-Enko mi lalih,
Mihi-kiiche mi, Tari-kubu mi lalih.”
The meaning of this stanza is that the selected village elders – the Goras, collected contributions from the general public in the form of rice, millet and smoke-dried rats (Tari-Kubu) and then Aachi-Kharii, Aabang-Khatii, the priests performed the Dree rituals. The Goras collected rice and millet in a small bamboo vessel (mihi-kiiche). Kiiches were of three types – diilii kiiche, kiiri kiiche and mihi kiiche. The diilii kiiche was the biggest in size that contained more rice or millet and was used for day-to-day family purposes. The kiiri kiiche was smaller than diilii kiiche in size that contained lesser quantity of rice and was used for measuring quantities in barter systems. The mihih kiiche was the smallest in size that contained less rice or millet and was used for contribution or donation purpose only. They collected two numbers of smoke -dried rats (tari- kubu) from those who did not have rice or millet. The Goras (village level organsizing committee) prepared the ‘Dree’ ‘O’ (rice beer) and then announced in the village that the Dree taboo would be observed strictly and not to work in the fields or go to the jungles and fell trees. And then, the priests would perform the Dree rites.
In the middle part of May 1967, the summer vacation of JN College, Pasighat had commenced. All the students from the Subansiri District had left for their homes. Instead of directly going to my home, I set off for Shillong, accompanied by Shri Gyati Challa. to approach the North East Frontier Agency (NEFA) administration for various logistic assistances. On arrival at Shillong, we went to the NEFA Hostel where the students of five districts of NEFA – Kameng, Subansiri, Siang, Lohit and Tirap were staying and studying in the different colleges of Shillong. In the Hostel, late Jikom Riba, IAS the then Special Social & Cultural Officer, NEFA Administration, who was looking after the NEFA hostel as the Hostel Superintendent was getting ready for his office. We apprised him of our proposal for organizing the centralized Dree festival at Ziro for the first time, he took us to the room of Shri PN Luthra, the then Adviser to the Governor of Assam and NEFA. He was busy with heaps of files on his big semi-circle secretariat table. He cheerfully greeted us. We apprised him of our proposal for celebration of the centralized Dree festival at Ziro in a large scale. Further, we invited him as the Chief Guest and also requested him to declare official holiday on the day of the celebration, so that all the govt. employees could also participate in the festival. He suggested us to submit in advance the necessary estimate next time, so that he could get time to accord sanctions for the grant for the festival. However, he was kind enough to grant us a sum of Rs 1000/- (rupees one thousand) only from his discretionary grant for meeting up the immediate requirements. In the sixties, Rs 1000/- was a handsome amount and therefore it was a big help for us then. He also consented to grace the occasion as the chief guest.
On arrival at Ziro, it was felt that the mobilization of the public was necessary as it was going to be their festival. In those days, there were no proper motorable roads, linking the villages and the villages were not electrified. People used to go from one village to another on foot. In the months of June and July the rainy season had already set in. Putting on hunting boots, carrying an umbrella and a torch light, I started visiting at night as all the villagers were busy in their agricultural fields during the day. The purpose of the visits was to inform them of the centralized celebration of Dree and to get help for organizing it, in whatever form they could contribute- materials, physical help or in cash. The response from the people was quite positive and encouraging.
The mobilization of the people was completed within a week with the help of likeminded group of people in each and every village. Many enthusiasts voluntarily came forward to help in collecting of contribution from each village and deposited the same to the Central Dree Committee. The contributions were in the form of cash and kinds like – mithun, cow, goat, fowls, eggs, rice, millet, firewood etc. and were deposited to late AC Rabha, the then Headmaster of Hija School as he was selected as the financial in-charge of the festival. All items contributed were stored in one of the halls of the school building. The store was under the personal supervision of the financial in-charge. He maintained a cash register which was audited after the completion of festival.
Selection of Dree ground: –
After completing the mobilization of general public, one day I went to the residence of late RS Nag, the then Deputy Commissioner of the undivided Subansiri District. I narrated the same proposal to him as I did at Shillong. He informed me that he had already received wireless message from the NEFA Secretariat, Shillong stating that the Adviser along with a team of officers would be coming to Ziro to participate in the ensuing Dree festival. Also, the amount granted to us was remitted to him by NEFA Secretariat, Shillong. The Deputy Commissioner suggested for a general public meeting to be convened preferably at Old Ziro to chalk out the programme and to fix a tentative date for the celebration of the Dree festival, and also to find a suitable venue for the celebration. After meeting with the DC Ziro, I rushed back to Old Ziro and met Shri C Rohluta, the then BDO Ziro, to chalk out the programme as suggested by the DC. He agreed to hold the meeting, but rooms in the office were small for such a huge gathering. So, it was decided to hold the meeting outside the BDO office on 3rd June 1967 at 10 O’clock, which was conveyed to the DC accordingly.
As scheduled, a general public meeting was convened in the open- air outside the BDO’s office at Old Ziro. Exactly at 10 O’clock, the DC arrived and the meeting was chaired by him. The crucial meeting was attended by people of all the villages, Gaon Buras, public leaders and the senior students. Almost half the day was debated but no decision could be arrived at till afternoon on the venue.
The people of Rem, Tajang and Kalung villages proposed that the Dree ground should be selected at Lajbogya near Bulla school. The people of Hari village suggested that the Dree ground should be at Byara near Hari School (later on the school was shifted to Megyang). The people of Hong village wanted that the Dree ground should be at Hanoko near Hong School. The people of Mudang-Tage and Michi-Bamin suggested that the Dree venue should be at Biirii in a central place in between Hong, Hari and Mudang-Tage villages. The people of Hija and Dutta suggested that the Dree ground should be at Nenchalya near Hija School. It was very difficult in the meeting to give a final decision; hence it was decided to constitute a committee which was to be represented by 2 (two) members from each village and headed by the BDO Ziro.
The meeting chalked out few guidelines for the committee, so that the committee could select a place which fulfilled the following criteria:
- The Dree ground should preferably be at a central place for all the villages of the valley.
- It must have easy access to conveyances.
- It must have a good playground with sufficient areas for construction of sheds for huge public gathering.
Next morning, the members of the committee visited all the proposed places and after physically verifying all the sites, members submitted their report stating that Nenchalya Near Hija School fulfilled all the conditions laid down in the guidelines. Therefore, Nenchalya was finally declared the ground for celebration of Dree festival annually.
On hearing the selection of Dree ground at Nenchalya, few knowledgeable and orthodox elders of Hija and Dutta villages raised doubts that since the celebration of Dree would be taking place at their place for the first time and since during the celebration, people from all directions would gather there and they would perform pujas, dances, sing songs, organize cultural programmes and sports events etc., it might cause famine and outbreak of epidemic in the entire Tanii valley. While the discussion was going on, late Tage Tade of Mudang-Tage village, one of the prominent public leaders, Goan Bura and priest of those time, also joined the meeting midway. All elders present there requested him to consult ‘Omens’ by examining the liver of a chicken. Accordingly, he consulted ‘Omens’ but there was no indication in the chicken liver about any outbreak of epidemic or occurrence of famine in the valley. Hence, every Dutta and Hija person present there were finally convinced and they agreed to the celebration of the festival at their place and also to actively participated in organizing and they played generous host by donating all materials like – bamboo, cane, wooden posts from their bamboo groves for construction of gate, rostrum, cultural stage and sheds around the ground for public.
The Dree Agyan (Altar) was erected at Nenchalya and the first centralized festival was inaugurated by shri PN Luthra, the then Adviser to the Governor of Assam and NEFA in 1967 in the presence of the dignitaries and huge public gathering. Slice of cucumber were distributed as a mark of first healthy harvest of the season. But then there was shortage of cucumbers for distribution to the guests and the public in the first year of celebration as June was a little early for harvest of cucumbers. Therefore, from next year onward it was decided to celebrate the festival on 5th July so that a little more time could be given for growth of cucumbers to use in the festival. Since then, the Dree festival is being celebrated by the entire people of Tanii on 5th July every year as a milestone event in the community. The event accelerated social integrity and homogeneity within the community.
Helping Hands: –
- It was the willing and generous support of the people of all the villages of Tanii Valley that led to the launching of the first centralized Dree festival celebration in the year 1967.
- The Tanii women folks prepared Dree ‘O’ (rice bear) for the guests on the inaugural day and the community feasts in their respective villages.
III. The people of Hija and Dutta played perfect roles of the hosts during the festival. They contributed almost all the materials for construction of sheds. They spared their bamboo groves, vegetable gardens and land under millet cultivation for celebrations of Dree festival at Nenchalaya.
- My colleagues namely Gyati Challa, Khoda Pusang, Rubu Koyan, late Michi Tatung and late Tailang Koyan, the then Students of JN College, Pasighat from Subansiri District, whole heartedly supported and cooperated me in organizing the first centralized Dree festival.
- Shri P.N Luthra, the then Adviser to the Governor of Assam and NEFA, Shillong rendered financial help for the celebration. Shri Luthra along with his wife, late Jikom Riba, IAS the then Special Social & Cultural Officer NEFA Secretariat Shillong, shri Tagam Darang retired IAS, the then Cultural Circle Officer, Shillong and a number of officers from Shillong participated in the festival. The Adviser inaugurated the first modified and centralized Dree festival at Nenchalya, Old Ziro near Hija School amidst a huge gathering.
- Late Tage Tade, Gaon Bura of Mudang-Tage village, one of the prominent priests of the valley of those times, performed the Dree rituals for the first time at Dree Altar erected at Nenchalya.
VII. Late Millo Kacho, one of the Gaon Buras of Tajang village, donated one mithun for the first centralized Dree festival. It was this mithun which was used for community feast in 1967.
VIII. Late R.S Nag, the then Deputy Commissioner, Ziro helped by deputing all his officers and staff in preparation of the festival. He presided over a crucial meeting for selection of the Dree venue on 3rd June’1967 outside the BDO office, Old Ziro. He also presided over the cultural meet.
- Dr. B.B Pandey, the then Research Officer, Subansiri District, Ziro rendered tremendous help to the festival committee. His office was so much visited during preparation for the festival, it seemed as if his office was the unofficial festival office. His staff were available all the times and ever ready to help whenever members of the Dree committee approached them.
- C Rohluta, the then BDO, Ziro personally supervised his staff daily at festival ground during arrangements for the celebration.
- Late Chitra Mihu, the then Circle Officer was deputed by the DC, Ziro to supervise the staff of DC office during the arrangements for the festival at Dree ground. He was one of the members of the overall supervising committee.
XII. Late D.P Deorori, the then Head Master of Ziro High school, also daily attended the festival ground along with his entire students and teaching staff during the preparation for the festival. He was one of the members of the overall supervising committee team. NCC cadets of his school regulated the public movements during the entire festival period.
XIII. Late A.C Rabha, the then Head Master of Hija School was the in-charge of the financial matters of the festival. The entire students of his school helped the festival committee during the preparation and also conducted social services at festival ground from time to time.
XIV. One Shri Pillai, the then Field Publicity Officer, Ziro Unit Govt. of India, covered the entire festival events and screened documentary films every evening at the festival ground. His documentary films were hugely popular and attracted large gatherings at the ground during entire festival period.
- The Band of Assam Rifles, Kimin presented a band display which also attracted huge crowds on the inaugural day. In the evening, they also participated in the cultural programme with spellbinding performances and thus were the highest crowd puller.
XVI. The CRPF personnel of Hapoli helped in patrolling the entire Old Ziro and Hapoli- Old Ziro road.
XVII. The Auxiliary Labour corps (ALC) personnel, 52 in numbers participated in the festival. They shouldered the responsibility of preparation of meals and serving the community feast.
A simple village – ritual turned into a grand Festival in 1967: –
In the past, the Dree rites were confined to different villages on different dates in the valley only. Now, it has expanded its horizon and is being celebrated all over the country wherever members of Tanii reside.
As they say “the only thing that is constant is change”; hence the cultural changes are also very much inevitable, but the mindless rapid changes should be guarded carefully by the present and future generations, lest our rich cultural and traditional legacies passed down from generations together should get sacrificed at the altar of modern culture.
The process of Dree festival celebrations has seen tremendous changes in these long years since 1967 and it will certainly witness more changes with the passage of time, but it should be the sincere effort of each one of us to preserve its roots for our posterity, lest it should turn into just another festival of food and music only. The Dree festival reflects the richness of tradition and deep-rooted cultural heritage of our society and also it reveals the unique traditional system of agricultural practices, introduced by Aaba Liibo and Aane Donii (name of ancestors) in the society. Let us all celebrate and uphold it without discriminating in the name of gender, caste, creed, culture, language, colour, religion and political ideology, because the festival is the depiction of cultural legacy of any ethnic community. (The contributor is (Former.) Director of Arts & Culture, Govt. of Arunachal Pradesh. He initiated the centralized Dree festival and was the first General Secretary of Dree Committee in 1967 and 1968.)
