Mopin Festival Tour
Celebrate Life, Art, and Community:
Secure Your Spot on the Mopin Festival Tour
Mopin Festival is a traditional cultural extravaganza celebrated primarily by the Galo tribe in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. The festival holds immense significance for the Galo community, as it marks the beginning of the agricultural season and is observed to invoke the blessings of various deities for a bountiful harvest, prosperity, and well-being. The festival usually takes place in the month of April, coinciding with the beginning of the spring season.
Mopin Festival Tour Insight
The Mopin Festival – A meandering experience of Along, West Siang District of Arunachal Pradesh, celebrated by the Adi Gallo tribe as a ritual to drive away evil spirits and bad luck. An experience instilling the feel of Mystics and Assam’s history with the Tea industry.
12 Days/11 Nights Tour
Dibrugarh – Along – Mechuka – Daporijo – Ziro – Tezpur – Guwahati
Highlights of the Mopin Festival Tour
- Explore the diverse and unique tribal culture
- Visit the least explored West Siang District of Arunachal
- Enjoy the pristine landscape of this area
- Be a part of Mopin Celebrations
- Explore Adi, Galo, Memba, Nishi, and Apatani tribes
- Ziro Valley and Apatani Tribes
- Fully escorted tour with local guides wherever necessary
Itinerary
Arrive in Dibrugarh by air/train. Check into your hotel/lodge on arrival. Assam’s original tea city is known for its beautiful tea gardens and bungalows. Later take your time to the nearby local markets. Overnight.
Today we will cross the mighty Brahmaputra by ferry and then drive to Along in Arunachal Pradesh. The main tribe of this area is Adi Gallong. Check-in at tented accommodations that have been set up, especially for your stay. Evening enjoys the ‘Mopin festival’ as today is the first day of this colorful festival. Dinner and overnight
A whole day at Along visiting villages and enjoying ‘Mopin festival’.
Mopin festival: is celebrated for the desire for wealth and prosperity as well as universal happiness. The smearing of rice powder on each other’s faces marks the beginning of the festival which is celebrated for five days. The Mopin festival plays an important role in the cultural scenario of the Gallo Adi Tribes. Tribal people dazzle in their traditional costumes and organize the amazing ‘proper dance’, greatly performed by the female folk.
By positioning themselves in a circular queue, they create the roaring sound of their rhythmic steps. One group assemble themselves and chant the sweet words of Ja-Jin-Ja and Baryi folk songs, while the following participants complement their songs with dancing. Tribal folks don themselves in white clothes and elaborate headgear. Their dangling multi-colored beaded ornaments glitz according to their footsteps and the sparking sunrays.
A whole day at Along visiting villages and enjoying ‘Mopin festival’.
The tribal culture is submerged with strange myths which are very much linked with the existence of evil spirits. One prime purpose behind organizing this function is to get away from evil shadows and to receive the blessing of God for universal happiness.
Drive to Mechuka. The main tribe of this area is ADI GALLONG and MEMBA. Members practice Tibetan Buddhism. On reaching Mechuka we will check into tented accommodations that have been set up especially for your stay amid very beautiful scenery. Late PM walk about the village, interact with local people and visit the local market. Dinner and overnight.
Whole day at Mechuka, visiting different villages of different tribes. The Gompa at Mechuka is one of the oldest monasteries called Samten Yongcha of the Mehayana sect located at a hilltop in the westernmost part of Mechuka, a place of tourist interest in the district of West Siang. This Gompa as per the oral history of Membas is a contemporary of the great Tawang monastery. Dinner and overnight.
Drive to Along. On the way visit ‘Gallong’ villages. On arrival check into tented accommodations that have been set up especially for your stay. Evening visits to the local market. Dinner and overnight.
After breakfast drive to Daporijo. The main tribe of this area is the Nishi tribe. We will visit Tagin village on the way. Check into Ligu Village Guest House. Walk around Daporijo and visit the market. Dinner and overnight.
Drive to Ziro and visit Hill Miri villages on the way. Check-in at Hotel Blue Pine or similar. Evening visits to the local market. Dinner and overnight.
After breakfast, we will be visiting the Apatani villages. Ziro is one of the most traditional areas in Arunachal Pradesh. Dinner and overnight.
The morning after breakfast, drive to Tezpur – the mythological ‘City of Blood’. Check into the hotel on arrival. PM, time permitting, go for city sightseeing which will include Cole Park, Agni Ghar, and the local market. Dinner and overnight.
Transfer to Guwahati airport for your onward journey
Ziro is home to the Apatani tribes and it is located in an extremely picturesque valley called Apatani Plateau surrounded by pine-covered mountains. The Apatani tribes themselves are Ziro’s greatest attraction. The older men-folk tie the hair in top knots and tattoo the faces. Apatani women wear wooden nose plugs and tattooed their faces. However, a new generation of Apatani men and women have stopped this practice of tying hair knots, nose plugs, and face tattooing since the early 1970s. The Apatani are good cultivators and practice both wet and terrace cultivation. Paddy cum fish culture is very popular among them.
