West Kameng

West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh state in the Indian sub-continent is lying approximately between 91° 30' to 92°40' East longitudes and 26° 54' to 28° 01' North latitudes. All tour and Travel needs for India by Indian travel agent. The district is surrounded by Tibet region of China in the North, Bhutan in the West, Tawang district and East Kameng districts of Arunachal Pradesh are in the Northwest and East respectively. The district has vast tourism potential.

The name of the district is derived from the Kameng River, a tributary of Brahmaputra that flows through this district. By a Government of India ‘Notification of 1914,’ the area covered by this district, became a part of the ‘Western Section’ of the ‘North East Frontier Tract’ to which the entry of the British subject was regulated by an ‘Inner Line’. By a Government of India ‘Notification of 1914,’ the area covered by this district, became a part of the ‘Western Section’ of the ‘North East Frontier Tract’ to which the entry of the British subject was regulated by an ‘Inner Line’. All tour and Travel needs for India by Indian travel agent.

In 1919, this tract was renamed as the ‘Balipara Frontier tract,’ having its headquarter at Charduar of Assam. In 1946, the district area was curved out of the Balipara, with the name of ‘Sela Sub-Agency’ and it’s headquarter continued to be ‘Charduar’ of Assam. In 1954, Sela Sub-Agency was renamed as the ‘Kameng Frontier Division’ and its headquarter was later transferred to Bomdila. Tour Incredible India with Indian Travel agent.

Festivals of West Kameng District
The Sherdukepns: -
The Sherdukpens observe a number of festivals both Buddhist and Non- Buddhistic. Tour Incredible India with Indian Travel agent.Their main Buddhist festivals are Lossar and wang, while Khiksaba is a non- Buddhist festival which is meant ot appease the forest deities. The lossar is observed like the Monpas. The wang is observed by the Sherdukpens for two days in the month of June or July in honour of Lord Buddha. The Khiksaba festivals observed in November or December and this festival ensures that the forest spirits will not attack the people on their long trek through the jungles done to the plains. Feasting and drinking, scarification of goats and Fawls and offerings of rice, flowers, fruits etc. are the important events of Khiksaba festival. There are also several other festivals like Rek Lapsang Chhongba (Agricultural festival), Photenya (Another agricultural festival), Chekor festival etc. which are regularly celebrated by the Sherdukpens.

The Monpas: -
Festivals form an essential aspect of the Social- religious life of the Monpas. Losar and Choskar are their major religious festivals. Losar is celebrated to bed farewell to the happy and prosperous life. It is observed from the first day of the New Year (as per the Buddhist lunar calendar) up to the fifteenth day i,e the full Moon day. There is great marry making and dancing during the Losar fiestival. Choskar festival is performed after the sowing of maize and is meant for good harvest and dancing during the Losar festival. Choskar festival is also performed after the sowing of paddy and before harvesting of crops as well. Each Choskar in the village is followed by movement taboo. Besides the above mentioned two major festivals there are many other minor festivals observed by the Monpas. Tour Incredible India with Indian Travel agent.

The Akas: -
The Akas perform a number of religious ceremonies both individually and communally. Their only community festival is the Nechie whish is celebrated once annually in the Aka month of Rigiev corresponding to English month of November. Tour Incredible India with Indian Travel agent.This festival last for four days and performed for a good harvest. The celebration involves a number of ritual and worships performed by the village priest(Mugou) in the name of different gods and goddesses by offering oblations and sacrificing various animals. The actual performance of the festival lasts for two days and the remaining two days are observed as taboo,when the Akas refrain from doing any work. Community feasts are arranged every day after the days ritual where both males and females can take part in cooking and they are followed by songs and dance.

The Sajolang (Mijis): -
The Mijis celebrate two important major festivals on community as well as village level basis. Among these two, the Chindang festival has assumed the most important place among the people of Miji community especially of Nafra circle of West Kameng District A.P Chin means offering an sacrifices. Thus, during the Chindang festival besides chanting hymns, various offerings including sacrifices of animals and birds are offered to Almighty God and Goddesses like Jang_lang-nui and other like Sun(Zoh), Moon(Lyuh), Mountain(Phung) and River(Wu) and deities like Khanih, gonih, Khang-wo-myangro, and ancestral deities. Previously this festival was knownas Phong-gling and was celebrated village wise annually but now Phong –gling forms only a part of the greater chindang festival which is being celebrated on a community basis at Nafra circle and other major mentres in the month of October every year. The Yak or bull, a pig and Fowls are killed and offered as sacrifices to various deities to have their blessings, to prevent evil spirits from entering the villages, to protect the crops from wild animals’ pests and insects, to have better harvest and to protect the community from ghastly diseases. In it the spirits and deities of the sources drinking water are also appeased. It would be worth while to mention here that usually the actual celebration of the festival is preceded by the grand social service for clearing the roads and footpath and sources of drinking water. Tour Incredible India with Indian Travel agent.

Another important festival of the Mijis is the Khan festival. During the seventies of this century khan was considered the most important festival of the Mijis and was being celebrated/organized by the community as a whole but now a days it has lost its prior importance and has become significant in some other ways. During the festival besides merry-making people use to perform sacrificial rites and offer prayers to the concern gods and goddesses for bumper harvest in the next harvesting season. Tour India with Indian Travel Agent.They also used to various creatures in cause of preparation of their fields for shifting cultivation and pray for prosperity. Now a day the Khan festival is called khan-Gailam and is celebrated by the individual family, generally by rich families of higher status and has become too expensive to be performed by the poor. In course of it’s celebrate rituals for increase in the cattle wealth, ward off evil spirits causing massive misfortune and to have prosperity.

The Buguns: -
Of the many celebrations, the kshat sowai is the only festival of the Buguns which is observed on community basis. This festival is celebrated village wise annually and generally in the third week December and the festival last for ten days. In each Bugun village there is a particular place called sraiba for celebration of this festival. The festival days are observed with the performance of may rituals by a local priest called phavi, scarification of fowls, offering of rice, maize, beer arum etc. to the god and goddesses arrangement of feasts, singing of mythical songs and chanting prayers on the concluding day all the people of the village go to the sraiba and have a grand feast there which is called thaplam. Beside the Kshyat-sowai, a number of other festivals celebrated individually by the Buguns sacrificing a good number of domestic birds and domestic birds and animals at different times and occasion with a view to appearing various evil spirits of the locality for the welfare of the villagers. Tour India with Indian Travel Agent.