'Podi-Barbi', a festival that reverberates from the hills

By Sanjay Mosing

The ‘Podi-Barbi’ is a harvest festival celebrated by the Adi (Ramo, Pai-Libo and Bokar communities) of Mechukha sub-division on 5th December every year. Basically, the festival is celebrated as a thanksgiving to the Mother Nature for the abundant harvest of crops in current year and also to pray for another bumper harvest and hunting season for the coming year.

During this day, men and womenfolk clad in traditional attire enjoy the festivities with fun and merry making. Like other festivals of people of Tani origin, the sacrifice of domestic animals during the festival is another feature of the celebration and the ritual is performed by local priest known as Nyubu.

According to the legends, ‘Podi-Barbi’ refers to a small ‘Cicada’ like migratory insect that makes loud tweeters sound and migrates from far-flung places and arrives at the region at the time of harvesting season. Since, the primitive people were not aware of any calendar by which they could know the exact time of harvesting, used the arrival of these tiny insects as reminder of harvesting season. The festival is celebrated during the harvesting season, when the insects make their appearance in the region.

After completion of rituals, men and womenfolk distribute wine and other delicacies to guests and invitees. Local wine (Opong) made of millet and maize is vogue during this day. Traditional songs known as “Jaying and Bari” is common among the elder people and the youths perform traditional dance on entertainment mode. However, with the advent of modernization, modern songs and dances are also combined solely for entertainment these days.

People of the area are basically dependent on agricultural products like maize, millet and rice along with vegetables, which is still in practice. Maize has been the staple food for ages as growing rice in the mountainous terrains is almost impossible. But the introduction of Public Distribution System (PDS) by the government has drastically changed the food habits of the people of the area in recent years. Now they are totally dependent on PDS and prefer rice to maize as staple food. However, they have not abandoned the old practice of growing maize, millet and other vegetable items for themselves and domestic animals.

Culturally and traditionally the people are very rich, but due to lack of proper exposure to outside world most of the people even in the State hardly know about the Ramo, Pai-Libo and Bokar communities of Mechukha sub-division.

(Writer is a journalist and presently working at Echo of Arunachal as Sub-Editor)

Adii (Ramo, Bokar and Pai-Libo women in traditional attire during Podi-Barbi festival)