As the D- day for Solung festival is approaching rapidly,let me share an article about Solung festival ,written and compiled from different sources by me with a sole intention for its preservation.Its a sincere attempt to throw more light on a festival.If there is any mistakes in the article,pardon me and do correct the same.Your view will be highly solicited....... SOLUNG: RITUAL AND ITS ORIGIN Tanom Tasing Arunachal Pradesh is a land of colorful festivals. Festivals are inseparable part of socio-cultural life of people of the state. Most of the festivals of the indigenous communities like Solung, Nyokum, Mopin, Dree etc. are celebrated primarily to appease the gods and goddess for all round socio-economic development to live in peace and harmony. The Adis have a number of major and minor festivals like Solung, Etor, Unying-Araan, Donggin,Podi-Barbi etc. which are related with the annual agricultural activities. The most popular among them is the Solung. “Solung’ is celebrated annually during the first week of September. It is mainly celebrated in East Siang, West Siang Upper Siang ,Parts of Lower Dibang Valley and Lohit districts.Solung celebration lasted for seven days. On the first day, Mithun, pigs etc. are sacrificed early in the morning. This is called `Ardo-Baado’. On the second day, called `Yegling’ day, arrangement for special feast for children is made in every house called `Agaam Gampu’. The third day is Nyatdung, the preparation day for binnyat offering. On the fourth day, member of every family goes to the field and perform Binnyat ritual offering kine naane (the goddess of crop and prosperity). This part is called binnyat. On the fifth day, the pator mijing (or patron of a village) make small bows, arrows and fasten atop the doors of every house of the village to resist evil spirits from entering the house. This parties called Ekop or Taktor. Thus, Solung has three parts namely, the liimir, liibom, Binnyat and Taktor or Ekop. The Solung Aabang has three sections:- l. The first section is called Liiimir Liibom or Sopi Yekpi Aabang narrating the creation of the universe including animate and inanimate. 2. The second section is the Binnyat Aabang dealing with the progress of the race and development of agriculture and how the food grain came to exist in the world. 3: The third section is called Taktor or Ekop Aabang dealing with the titanic struggle between the Tani (the mankind) and Taro (the beast) and his emissaries like Yapom (spirit of forest and mountain) etc. All the facts are manifested in the Solung Aabang. The Solung Mirik narrates all these facts keeping Sedi in the central theme. Origin of Solung: Kine Naane (Goddess) bestowed ‘Lune’ and ‘lutor’ upon the Daadii Soomii land and issued divine decree to observe them as festival. They observed this festival every year. Domestic animals multiplied after observing this festival. They become prosperous. Seeing the prosperity of Daadii Soomii land, the Engo Takar people become jealous of them as they had no domestic animals. They wanted to acquire domestic animals from Daadii Soomii land. For that they hatched a trick ‘Daadii-Miiko lombo, Daadii Miiko-Pokbo and Engo Luutum luumuk went to the rivers ‘Engo Siilo logong’ and ‘Daadii sika Pangkok’ for fishing regularly. As per the plan they fixed fishing traps against the gushing water of rivers. ‘Engo Takar made an image of woman and erected it at the route that passes to the rivers where Daadii-Bote, the head of ‘Daadii Somi’ people uses to visit for fishing or other purposes. One day Daadii Miko Pokbo and Daadi Miko Lombo asked ‘Daadii-mira migang’ and Daadii miring legeng to see their fishing traps next morning. Next day, early in the morning they set forth for the rivers. On the way, they found the image standing in front of them, thinking that the image to be a living human they began to talk to it. However, she smile but did not talk to them. Annoyed with such behavior ‘Daadii Mira’ migang pushed the image into the gorge leading to the river of ‘Engo Silo Logong’. Engo Takar people called the image Nanyi Pumtung Rube. They claimed Nanyi Pumtung Rube was one of the living members of the Engo-Takar land, not an image. The Engo-Takar people claimed compensation for Pumtung Rube. After a confrontation they got one female Mithun and a female Pig from Daadii Somii land as compensation for the death of Pumtung Rube. Daadii Somii seceded for Lune and Lutor festivals to Engo-Takar people. They begin to observe the festival seceded to them by Daadi Somii. Tani inherited this festival from Engo-Takar people. During the time of Tani it has become ‘Solung’ festival. (The author can be contacted at [email protected])
Posted on: Sun, 20 Jul 2014 05:46:07 +0000
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