Wangala

Honouring the sun deity

The Garo people observe Wangala after completing their agricultural work to thank Misi Saljong, the solar deity who bestows good crops. In traditional Songsarek villages such as Sadolpara in Meghalaya, residents continue to follow ancestral animist beliefs rather than Christianity, preserving the sacred character of the event. Neighbouring settlements often coordinate their schedules between September and December, joining together for celebrations that can span from two days to an entire week. City dwellers also hold one-day gatherings to help younger generations remain connected to their cultural traditions.

Rituals in the chieftain's house

The ceremonial sequence begins under the guidance of a traditional priest known as a Kamal. Rites take place inside the home of the Nokma, the village leader who represents the lineage holding title to the clan land. The priest opens the festival with Rugala, an offering where rice beer is solemnly dispensed, followed by Cha·chat So·a, in which incense is ignited to invoke the deity. These sacred acts set the spiritual foundation for the communal festivities that follow over the coming days.

Dance, music and dress

Celebrants don bright traditional attire, such as Dakmanda, Daksari, or Gando textiles, complemented by feathered headdresses called do'me. Musicians play long, oval drums known as Dama alongside brass instruments and flutes. Dancers perform the final Dama Gogata, weaving coordinated movements to intense rhythmic pulses. The gathering also features poetic vocal forms, including Katta Doka, a rhyming style of spoken delivery, Dani Doka, which narrates the story of the festival, Ajia melodies, and playful performances like the Chambil Mesaa pomelo dance.

The Hundred Drums gathering

Since December 1976, an expanded public event known as the 100 Drums Wangala Festival has taken place annually at Asanang, near Tura in Meghalaya. Organised with government backing, this three-day cultural gathering brings together dance groups from across Garo Hills as well as neighbouring territories like Assam, Tripura, and Bangladesh. Performing troupes compete for substantial prize money, and students from Tura institutions regularly demonstrate the traditional choreography. Alongside massed drumming performances, the venue hosts athletic games, regional food stalls, and exhibitions of tribal craft and art.

How Wangala is kept

The festival opens at the residence of the village Nokma, where a priest called the Kamal conducts sacred rites, dispensing rice beer and burning fragrant incense. Families and visitors then take part in several days of feasting, poetic chants, and artistic performances. Performers wear woven garments and feathered headwear while playing Dama drums, flutes, and brass horns. Festivities culminate in the energetic Dama Gogata dance, in which large groups move in unison to rhythmic drum patterns before the gathering concludes.

When and where

Wangala takes place every year between September and December. Individual villages decide their own exact dates after the harvest is gathered, with celebrations lasting between two days and a full week.

The festival is held across the Garo Hills of Meghalaya, as well as Garo settlements in Assam, Nagaland, and Tripura in India, and the Greater Mymensingh area in Bangladesh. The state-supported 100 Drums Festival is staged at Asanang near Tura.

What Wangala means

Wangala expresses deep gratitude to Misi Saljong, the solar deity who sustains human life and grants bountiful crops. For the Garo community, and particularly followers of the traditional Songsarek faith, the rituals reaffirm their relationship with the natural world, celebrate agricultural abundance, and renew communal bonds across generations through shared song, rhythm, and dance.

Questions people ask about Wangala

See also

HoliA spring festival of colours and bonfires that marks the end of winter and the triumph of good over evil.PongalThree or four days of boiling rice, garlanded cattle and thanks to the sunOnamA ten-day harvest festival in Kerala celebrating the return of King Mahabali with feasts, flower carpets and boat races.Makar SankrantiA mid-winter harvest festival marking the sun's northward journey, celebrated across South and Southeast Asia with fairs

Good reading and sources

• The Hundred Drums WangalaThe Hindu, Article
• The Hundred Drums WangalaThe Hindu, Article

• Wangala on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-04.