User:Tabeng Pali

DONGGIN FESTIVAL

Tashor Pali

BA (English Hons) from Cotton College.

MA,(English Literarture) from Pune University, PGDJC, from Symbiosis Institute of Media Study.

LLB from Rajiv Gandhi University, Arunachal Pradesh.

As per mythology of Adi Bori community, there was a tree called Rondo Neteh (a kind of Peepal Tree) in a village. The tree starts growing rapidly and disproportionately thereby covering the entire space of human habitation. In order to get rid of the tree, a meeting was convened by the village folk where Takar Yapir, a smart hunter from the village, was assigned to cut down Rondo Neteh. Accordingly, Takar Yapir cut down Rondo Neteh. Suddenly, a noise starts coming from the trunk of the felled tree. On close observation, Takar Yapir found a Tachchin (a kind of insect)which was making noise from inside the felled tree. Out of curiosity, Takar Yapir brought that Tachchin home. But that Tachchin again starts to grow rapidly taking the shape of a Wild Boar like creature. Takar Yapir reared that Wild Boar like creature in his Pig Sty. But that Wild Boar like creature become very violent and ran away from Takar Yapir’s Pig Sty.

When the incident was reported, the village folk took that as a challenge and decided to hunt down the Wild Boar like creature by Kiruk (A Traditional Community Hunting in Adi). After two days of Kiruk, the Wild Boar like creature was finally hunted down and eaten up by the villagers. After a while a Tankung (Quail/ wild bird) in search of food landed in the place where the Wild Boar like creature was killed. When The Tankung starts foraging using its legs an Egg like object appeared in that place which was again spotted by Takar Yapir. Out of curiosity, Takar Yapir, brought that egg like object home again. But this time also, that egg like object starts troubling the village. Where ever Takar Yapir places that egg like object, there start landslides and other calamities.

In order to get rid of that egg like object, Takar Yapir, took that object to several people to get it destroyed but no one could break or destroy that egg like object. So it was decided to parcel a Konying (a specially made needle/poker) from Kojung Jango(Tibet) to poke and break that egg like object. Finally, with the help of the Konying, that egg like object was poked and broken. When it was broken, an insect with very loud noise appeared and fled away. The villagers, decided to name that insect Berbi. ( Cicada, a seasonal insect)

Since then the Berbi heralds the season of Donggin. When the Berbi which is regarded as the harbinger of new season, starts singing in the Jungle, village folks understands that the season of festival has arrived to appease supreme deities through ritual activities.

Among the supreme deities, Podi Meteh, is believed to be the deity of Domestic Animals, Togu Yugon, the deity of wellbeing and prosperity, Miti Mitak the deity of Food Grains, Miring Mising the deity of wealth and Pirne Toneh, the deity of Harvest.

Donggin does not imply a single festival. Within the umbrella of Donggin Festival falls many festivals like LIIH, TAPU, GANEH, Solung and Mopun. These festivals are observed to appease various benevolent deities and ward off the malevolent ones so that people enjoy good health and prosper in their lives. Among all such festivals within the month of Sobo Yere, Sobo panon (Mithun Sacrifice) is treated as the main and the most important festival which come to be known as DONGGIN by the people of Adi Bori community.

All the rituals and ceremonies observed by the village folk for the wellbeing of mankind that falls within this season is termed as Donggin.

In the olden days Donggin Festival was celebrated for 6 days.

Day 1. The Day 1 of Donggin was called Binter. On this day, women folk of the village collect the food grains from the Kunsung (Granary) and get it dried in the sun followed by husking and grinding. When all the rice and other food stuffs are ready for the festival with collective effort of women folk a party is thrown on the occasion which is called Binter.

Day 2. The day 2 of the Donggin was called Esing Eko which means gathering of materials from jungle which are required for the festival. Esing Eko means firewood and Jungle leafs. During the second day, the youngsters of the village ventured out in a group to collect firewood, jungle leafs used for packaging food items, bamboo etc which are required for the festival. During such occasion, food, Apong (local beer) are served to youngsters by the host family of the festival.

Day 3. The day 3 of Donggin was called Siling Tanon. On this day, special kind of tree Aamit Esing is cut down and split into small pieces and dried In the sun. These Siling Tanon is used for the decorative items and firewood as well during the festival days.

Day 4. The day 4 of Donggin was called Sokang Ranon. On this day, village folk collectively construct the Sokang (Alter for Mithun Sacrifice) in the Lotteh (Corridor), Batung,( Near Staircase), Kunsung (Near Granery) of the host family.

Day 5. The day five of the Donggin was called Sobo Panon. This is the most important day of the festival. On this day, the actual sacrifice of the domestic animals (mithun, Pigs etc) to appease various deities is being carried out. The specially entrusted priest is engaged the whole day to chant the mythology related to Sobo Panon. The priest also narrates the history of the past achievement of forefathers of the host family in chronological order where their genealogies are also narrated in detail. The priest here plays the role of communicator and the mediator between the mortal humans and the deities.

The last day or day 6.The concluding event of the Donggin is done after 3 (three) days of Sobo Panon, which is called Gumbo. 3 days of social taboo called Nyonon is observed by the host family immediately after Sobo Panon (Mithun Sacrifice Day). After the 3 days of Nyonon, the youngsters of the village collect 4 numbers of very long bamboos for Gumbo. (Specially decorated bamboo). The Gumbo is decorated and sprinkled with Apong,(Local rice beer) Etting (Rice Powder) etc and then they are erected two pieces on each side of the host’s roof which are made to join each other at the top of the roof. This marks the conclusion of the festival of Sobopanon in Donggin. On this day the priest through his ritual chanting bid farewell to all the deities and urged them to shower the choicest blessings to human kind and especially to the members of the host family.

In the olden days when there was no fixed monthly calendar, there was no particular fixed date for the Donggin festival. People had to count on the season for the festival. The winter season which falls within modern day calendar of February to March was the season for such festivals which is also called as the Sobo Yere Polo in local dialect, the months of domestic animals.

In the due curse of time, it has taken the shape of modern days Donggin Festival which is being observed officially on 2nd February every year.

“Agon pe”. By self.

Courtesy: Takit Tabang, President Donggin Festival Aalo-2015, for valuable inputs.