LONGTE FESTIVAL

• The Nyishi community celebrated Longte festival with traditional fervour in the capital complex.
• The Longte festival is a significant cultural event for the Nyishi tribe in Arunachal Pradesh. It is marked by its unique tradition of abstaining from animal sacrifice, opting instead for symbolic decorations using feathers and bamboo.
• The Longte is one of the oldest and agriculturally significant festivals of the Nyishi tribe.
• It is a harbinger of a new season after which the sowing of seeds begins on cultivated fields.

ABOUT NYISHI TRIBE

• The largest ethnic group in Arunachal Pradesh is the Nyishis community. They have a rich tradition and culture, and are known for their courage and determination. They believe that they are descendants of Abutani, and are part of the Tani group of communities.
• Nyishis practise Jhoom cultivation and grow rice, millet, maize, yams, and different vegetables. They live in longhouses called Namlo, made of mud and locally-sourced cane and bamboo. The houses are built on stilts using bamboo and wooden pillars, with the floor and walls made of split bamboo.