About Wangala Festival

The Wangala is the most significant post harvest festival of the Garos generally held in the month of October to November. It is a "Thanksgiving" ceremony to Misi Saljong, also known as Pattigipa Ra'rongipa (The Great Giver) for having blessed the human beings with rich harvest of the season. A day ahead of the Wangala, a ritual called the Rugala is performed by the Nokma (A village Chief) and in this ritual, the offerings of the first hand special rice-beer alongwith cooked rice and the vegetables are given to Misi Saljong, the Giver. On the next day, the Nokma performs Cha'chat So'a ceremony or the burning of incence at the central pillar of his house to mark the beginning of the weeklong Wangala Festival. The festival has been practised traditionally by the Garos from times immemorial. It is performed annually in almost all the non-Christian of Garo Hills, but the time and dates of celebration vary from village to village.
However, due to the impact of modern civilisation and foreign culture, the Wangala which is the cultural identity of the Garos could be seen fast disappearing. So in order to protect and preserve,and promote this culture identity, a group of Garo intellectuals put their heads together in a meeting and decided to organise the "Wangala Festival" on modern lines. A group of 30 dancers with tendrums would form a contingent and 300 dancers would make up the "Hundred Drums Wangala Festival".
The first Hundred Drums Wangala Festival was successfully organised on December 6 and 7, 1976 at Asanang, the Headquarter of Rongram Development Block, 18kms.. from Tura. Since then, the Hundred Drums Wangala is being organised in the second week of November every year and the Festival has grown over the years under the patronage of the Government of Meghalaya and nurtured Festival Organisarion.