Myoko Festival

Myoko is the principal festival of the Apatani community of the Ziro Valley in Lower Subansiri district, Arunachal Pradesh. It celebrates friendship, prosperity and the renewal of inter-village ties through priestly chants, sacrifices and shared rice-beer.

Although the rituals span almost the whole month of March, the public-facing programme typically peaks across the last week of the month and rotates between the three core villages of Hong, Hari and Hija year by year.

• Lapang (community platform) gatherings of Apatani clans
• Babo bamboo poles erected outside each village
• Priests (Nyibu) chanting ancient migration histories
• Apatani women wearing traditional facial tattoos and nose plugs (yaping hullo)
• Mithun and pig sacrifices marking inter-village friendships

• Among the most photographed yet least commercialised Northeast festivals
• Set in UNESCO-tentative Ziro Valley with its iconic rice-fish fields
• Stay with Apatani families in Hong, Hari and Bamin villages
• Witness ritual life largely unchanged for centuries

Myoko is an ancient Apatani festival rooted in the community's Donyi-Polo (Sun-Moon) belief system. Its rituals are conducted by the priest (Nyibu), who chants the migration histories of the Apatani clans for hours at a stretch.

Unlike many Northeast festivals, Myoko has remained largely unchanged in form and is conducted within and between Apatani villages rather than on a centralised state festival ground.

• Annual dates: rituals span much of March; the public peak is usually in the last week of March.
• Venue: the host village rotates annually among Hong, Hari and Hija in the Ziro Valley.

The Apatani are a tightly-knit community concentrated in the Ziro Valley, known for their permanent wet-rice cultivation integrated with paddy-cum-fish farming. Apatani women of the older generation wear distinctive facial tattoos and yaping hullo (large nose plugs), a tradition that has been discontinued since the 1970s.

The Apatani live in seven main villages — Hong (one of Asia's largest villages), Hija, Bamin-Michi, Dutta, Mudang-Tage, Bulla and Hari. Lapang (raised wooden community platforms) in each village are the focal points of Myoko gatherings.

Myoko reinforces friendship pacts (manyang-pinyang) between villages and clans, formalises mutual aid agreements for the coming farming year and seeks the blessings of ancestor spirits for prosperity.

• Lapang (community platform) gatherings of Apatani clans.
• Babo — tall bamboo poles erected outside each village to mark Myoko.
• All-night chants by Nyibu priests recounting Apatani migration histories.
• Apatani women in traditional attire, some still bearing the older facial tattoos.
• Mithun and pig sacrifices marking the renewal of friendship between villages.
• Apong (rice-beer) shared from bamboo mugs across visiting families.

• Air: Lilabari Airport (IXI) in Assam, ~100 km from Ziro, is the most convenient. Tezpur and Guwahati are alternatives.
• Rail: Naharlagun and North Lakhimpur are the nearest railheads.
• Road: From Lilabari or North Lakhimpur, Ziro is a 4–5 hour drive via Kimin. Shared sumos and pre-booked cabs are the standard options.

Indian nationals require an Inner Line Permit (ILP) to enter Arunachal Pradesh. Apply online via the e-ILP portal of the Government of Arunachal Pradesh.

Foreign nationals require a Protected Area Permit (PAP), usually issued for groups of two or more through registered tour operators. Plan and apply at least 4–6 weeks in advance.

March in Ziro is cool, with daytime temperatures around 15–22 °C and nights dropping to 5–10 °C. Light showers are possible. Pack warm layers, a rain jacket and sturdy shoes for muddy village paths.

Ziro has a small but growing homestay scene — Ngunu Ziro, Abasa Homestay and Siiro Resort among others — based in Hapoli (the new town) and the heritage villages. Properties are small; book at least 2–3 months in advance for Myoko.

• Portraits of older Apatani women with facial tattoos should always be requested in person; offer prints if you can return them through a homestay host.
• Lapang gatherings are best shot with a 35 mm or 50 mm in the soft late-morning light.
• Avoid flash during ritual chants inside houses.

• Talley Valley Wildlife Sanctuary — pine and bamboo forests, day hikes from Ziro.
• Meghna Cave Temple near Hapoli.
• Kile Pakho Ridge for valley views.
• Daporijo and the Subansiri river valley (longer onward route).

A curated selection of photographs from Myoko Festival. All images are placeholders until license-cleared festival-specific photographs are sourced — see our photography policy.

Image pending reviewMyoko FestivalAwaiting licensed photograph

Image pending reviewMyoko FestivalAwaiting licensed photograph

Myoko Festival is a living cultural event hosted by the Apatani community. Please attend as a respectful guest, not a spectator.

• Day 1 — Arrive Itanagar; visit Ita Fort and the Jawaharlal Nehru State Museum, evening drive to North Lakhimpur or onward.
• Day 2 — Long road day to Ziro Valley via Yazali; settle into an Apatani homestay at Hong or Hija.
• Day 3 — Full day at the host Apatani village (Hong, Hari or Hija) for the Myoko priestly rituals, pig exchanges and Lapang ceremonies.
• Day 4 — Continued Myoko observances across the bogo villages; walk through the bamboo groves and wet-rice terraces.
• Day 5 — Day hike toward Talley Valley Wildlife Sanctuary or the Dolo-Mando viewpoint, return to Itanagar or Lilabari for departure.