Arunachal’s Galo community celebrates Mopin festival

Arunachal Pradesh’s Galo community is celebrating the Mopin festival with great pomp and gaiety at Itanagar Mopin Ground today. The festival will continue for three days.

The Mopin festival is a sacred festival of the Galo tribe of Arunachal Pradesh, celebrated in the month of April every year. It is a celebration of the harvesting season held in the Galo months of “Lumi” and “Luki”, corresponding to March–April, and the New Year for the Galo tribe.

Arunachal chief Minister Pema Khandu extending Mopin wishes to the Galo community wrote, “Mopin Agam Be! Greetings to brothers & sisters of Galo community on the joyous occasion of Mopin. May this pious occasion give bumper harvest, prosperity. My prayers to Almighty Donyi Polo & Anyi Pinku-Pinte for good health & well-being of all. Let us celebrate this festival with joy & gaiety!”

Mopin is believed to bring wealth and prosperity to households and the Galo community. It is also believed that the festival drives away evil spirits and spreads God’s blessing of universal happiness.
The festival is celebrated to worship Goddess Mopin Ane, the goddess of agriculture and preserver of all vegetation.

According to Mopin mythology, Mopin Ane (mother) was the first to teach the art of cultivation to Abo Tani, the first man ever born on this earth.

She not only taught the art of cultivation, but she and her daughters, Pinku Pinte and Diyi Tami, showed Abo Tani the types of implements and their uses.

On this day, the Galo people dress up in their finest white traditional clothing for the festival. The while clothing depicts peace.

A local drink called Apung or Poka (an alcoholic beverage popular in the state prepared by fermentation of rice) is generally distributed among the participants in a bamboo cup, and a variety of meals are served, made of rice known as Aamin, which contains meat and bamboo shoots.

Also Read: Arunachal: People celebrate Choskor Puja, pray for wellbeing, good harvest