By Rubu Buker
Ziro one of the most beautiful hill stations of Arunachal Pradesh located at about 1,500 meters above the sea level in the midst of the pine clad mountains, a hidden land as coined by Ursula G. Bowler and is the headquarters of Lower Subansiri District.The plateau isinhabitated by more than 70,000 friendly Apatani people. This land of Apatani’s is in the form of a valley surrounded by lust green paddy fields, beneath a number of uneven hillocks. On the east, are high ridges, which demarcates the plateau from the wooded hills of the lower region. The ridges are having some important peaks. The saline peak is one of the old Apatani trade route to North Lakhimpur, Assam. A small river, named Kyle, drains the plains of the Apatani valley. The Apatani considered themselves as descendent of Abo Tani as their forefather, but when and how this tribe have migrated to this valley is not yet certain due to lack of research and non availability of documents, but in oral form the community might have migrated from Tibet as it is repeatedly used in the mythology by the priest during the Myoko festival and other rituals performed by the community.
The mainstay of the Apatani community is Rice, Millet, Maize etc. The Apatani have cultivated 13 varieties of paddy but commonly it is divided into early and late varieties. Bamboo cultivation is important occupation of the Apatanis which enhance the socio-economic status of the community. Recently, the community has adopted Paddy cum Fish cultivation, the fish integration in the agriculture crop enhances the income of the farmers, which is a 100 percent success in the plateau. The Apatani are good craftsmen and the women were very expert in making handloom. The Apatanis are very industrious in nature.
The communities are believer of natural forces like many other tribal socities of the Himalayan region. The Sun (Donyi) and the Pillo (Moon) is considered as the Supreme God and Goddess along with number of other deities. The festivals like Dree, Myoko, Murung and Subu Pujas are major festivals of Apatani.
The Apatani are known for their sustainable agricultural practices and agricultural cycles govern their everyday lives. The DREE is main agriculture festival of the Apatani.
In the beginning, humans wandered around foraging for food. It was Anw Donw and Abba Lwbo who began cultivation in the fertile lands of Wpyo Supung. (Most probably around Tibet) Thus Anw Donw was first human to start a settled life while Abba Lwybo was the first to start cultivation.
Dree rituals comprised of the Tamu, Metw, Medvr and Mepin. The Tamu is propitiated to ward off the insects and pests. The Metw is propitiated to ward off epidemics and other ailments of the human beings. The purification ritual of Medvr is performed to cleanse the agriculture fields of unfavorable elements. This series of rituals is concluded with Mepin, which is performed to seek blessing for healthy crops and well being of mankind. In the modern Dree, Donyi is also propitiated for fertility of soil, abundance of aquatic lives in the rice fields, healthy cattle and for prosperity of all human beings.
With the first batch of spades- TURU DIPE and first batch of machetes-TWGYO ILYO, bushes and vegetations were cleared from large tracts of land. Invoking the winds from the north and the south, the older stubble was burnt. Next the soil was prepared for sowing.
Plots of agriculture were ready, but no paddy seeds were available. So, the search for theseeds began. In the process, Anw Donw and Abba Lwbo reached Murtu Lembyan from where they obtained seeds of pyapin and pyare varieties of paddy along with the seeds of cucumber and corns from Murtu Yarin. Something was still lacking and the search continued. When Anw Donw and Abba Lwbo looked into the stomach of the wild rats it was full of grasses and herbs while that of the wild boar was full of salyo and sankhe fruits of Salyo and Sankhe tree. However, it was in the stomach of DILYANG KUBU the field rat that they found the seeds of empu and elan varieties of paddy. They trailed the field rat with the help of a dog and finally located the sources of the seeds. At a place called HIRW LYANDI, the paddy seeds were found stuck high above on the branches of Hirw Tangun tree, along with tayu(Hornet) and tagya (bee) varieties of bees. Thus, the empu and elan were obtained from the Hirw Anw.
All the varieties of paddy- pyapin and pyare, obtained from Murtu as well as empu and elan, obtained from Hirw were originally obtained from Hintw Anw.
When Anw Donw and Abba lwbo set out to sow the seeds in the Wpyo Supun, rains and storms came to disturbthem. They overcame them, equipped with baskets of tasvr and rain guard of tarpi. Then, Anw Donw and Abba Lwbo were constantly disturbed in their cultivation works and their life made miserable by the demon named Pyokum Pembo Pyoyi Tadu. This was finally eliminated with great efforts but their struggle was far from over. From the stomach of Pyokum Pembo Pyoyi Tadu merged swarms of insects, pests and rice eating birds. They attacked the crops in the fields which led to poor harvest, and subsequent hunger and famines.
It was in order to counter the menace of insects, pest and diseases, and to alleviate the impending hunger and famines that a series of rituals were observed in the month of Dree. Achi Kharw or Dulu Talan Myama Pwkha was the first priest, who was assisted by a committee called the Dree Pontan. This committee is comprised of Huli Gori and Hula Gora –the village committee, Huni Mitur and Huna Mikin- the learned and wise village elders, Khrw Khatw- the highest priest and Gwtu Gwraq- the general public. They collected voluntary donations from every household to meet the requirements of the Dree rituals.
Pyodu Au and Dree Yarw are believed to be the forces that cause scarcity of food and bring hunger and sufferings to humanity. The damage caused to crops by insects and pests, together with hunger brought by Pyodu Au and Dree Yarw lead to famine. Thus the Dree rituals are observed to ward off these forces during June- July, corresponding to Dree Pwlo of the Apatanis. During the taboo period that follows, celebration of victory over evil forces takes place. This is how Dree festival came to celebrated.
In olden days, each village performed Dree rites separately at their respective villages on different dates as per the convenience of the village level organizing committee. It was in 1967 that the senior students of Apatani society led by Shri Lod Kojee organized the Dree centrally at a common ground at Swlan Ditin for the first time on 23rd June 1967. Since then, celebration during taboo period takes place centrally with fun and gaiety. The Competition of Wsan – high jump and gwbw- traditional wrestling for youths are held, while the ladies have daminda- a folk dance competition. The elders also engaged in Ayu (hymns Migration of Apatanis from the Wpyo Supung) and Bwsi (traditional Apatani song related the paddy cultivation system) competition among others.
While the modes of celebration have changed with time, the original rituals started by the ancestor in Wpyo Supun are meticulously followed till this day and the objective of the festival remains the same- for healthy crop, a bumper harvest and overall prosperity of mankind.
