NE India
Dree
The Apatani prayer for a harvest free of famine and pests.
Pralaylahiry · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Dree is the great agricultural festival of the Apatani people of the Ziro valley, celebrated around 5 July with prayers and offerings to the gods of the harvest — Tamu, Metii, Danyi and Harniang — seeking protection from famine, pests and disease and a bountiful crop. It reflects the Apatanis' deep, sustainable relationship with their famous wet-rice-and-fish fields.
Today Dree has grown into a celebration of Apatani identity, with folk dances, traditional food and the sharing of rice beer, held in the beautiful Ziro valley that is itself on India's UNESCO tentative list.
Photo: Pralaylahiry · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Know before you go
- Held in the Ziro valley; a permit is required for Arunachal.
- Ziro is a long hill drive from Lilabari (Assam) — plan the journey.
- Falls in the wet season; the valley is lush but roads can be slippery.
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