When is the Wangala Festival?
The Wangala Festival is a public holiday in the northeastern Indian state of Meghalaya.
The festival lasts several days and takes place in the second week of November after the harvest is finished. The date of the public holiday is published by the Meghalaya Government each year and reflected on this page.
Traditions of the Wangala Festival
Wangala is the most significant festival of the Garos, the second-largest tribe in Meghalaya, accounting for 30% of the population of the state.
Did you know?
The Garos are Tibeto-Burman and one of the few remaining matrilineal societies in the world. The individuals take their clan titles from their mothers rather than the father.
Wangala is also known as the Hundred Drums Festival. In keeping with the other Garo festivals, it is an agricultural festival, a thanksgiving ceremony to Misi Saljong, also known as Pattigipa Ra'rongipa (The great Giver) for having blessed the human beings with a rich harvest of the season
The ceremony is held in Asanang near Tura in West Garo Hills and is led by the village priest. Garo girls are known as 'nomil' and boys known as 'pante' take part in Wangala. 100 pantes beat long drums (pictured above) called dama in groups and play bamboo flutes. The nomils wear colourful costumes and dance to the beat of the 100 drums and folk songs in a circle. Most of the folk songs depict ordinary Garo life, God's blessings, the beauty of nature, day-to-day struggles, romance, and human aspirations.
Despite the history of the traditions of this festival, the first official Hundred Drums Wangala Festival took place in December 1976. The Festival has grown since then due to the patronage of the Government of Meghalaya and nurtured Festival Organisation.
Banks in Shillong, the state capital will be closed on the Wangala Day holiday.
