Nyokum Yullo

Nyokum Yullo is the principal festival of the Nyishi, the largest indigenous community of Arunachal Pradesh. It is a propitiatory festival addressed to Nyokum — the goddess of nature, land and prosperity — and is observed every year on or around 26 February.

The central rite is performed at a bamboo altar called the Yugang, where the Nyibu (priest) invokes Nyokum and a series of associated deities and ancestral spirits. Mithun, pigs and fowl are sacrificed, and women dance in circular formation around the altar through the day.

• Priest (Nyibu) chanting invocations to Nyokum at a central altar (Yugang)
• Bamboo altar with ritual structures and sacrificial mithun and pig
• Women dancing in circular formation around the Yugang
• Nyishi men in cane helmets topped with hornbill beaks
• Sharing of o (rice beer) and pork delicacies across visiting clans

• One of Arunachal's most widely celebrated indigenous festivals — observed across Nyishi areas, with a state-level event in Itanagar
• Sees Nyishi communities, the largest tribe in Arunachal, gather in full traditional attire
• Easy access from Itanagar and pairs well with a trip to Pakke Tiger Reserve

Nyokum has been observed for generations across Nyishi villages, traditionally on dates set by individual villages and clans. In 1968 a community of Nyishi elders standardised the date to 26 February for the unified state-level celebration, which is today hosted in Itanagar. Village-level Nyokum is still observed on locally chosen dates through January–February.

• Annual date: 26 February (state-level celebration in Itanagar).
• Many Nyishi villages observe their own Nyokum on locally agreed dates in January or February.
• Main venue: Nyokum Ground, Itanagar, with parallel celebrations across Nyishi villages in Papum Pare, East Kameng, Lower Subansiri, Kurung Kumey and Kra Daadi districts.

The Nyishi are a Tibeto-Burman community and the largest tribe in Arunachal Pradesh. Traditional Nyishi men wear a cane helmet (bopa/byopa) historically topped with a hornbill beak — now widely replaced with fibre or wooden replicas to protect the great hornbill. Women wear handwoven jackets, wraparound skirts and beaded ornaments.

Nyokum is a festival of thanksgiving and propitiation — thanking Nyokum and associated deities for the past year's well-being and asking for protection, fertile fields and freedom from disease in the year ahead. It also functions as the largest pan-Nyishi gathering of the year, bringing together clans from across the state.

• Invocation of Nyokum by the Nyibu priest at the bamboo Yugang altar.
• Circular women's dances around the altar throughout the day.
• Sacrifice of mithun, pigs and fowl, followed by community feasting.
• Nyishi men in cane helmets, machetes and traditional shawls.
• Stalls of indigenous Nyishi food and o (rice beer) at the Itanagar venue.

• Air: Itanagar (Hollongi) Airport is now the most convenient; Lilabari (North Lakhimpur) and Guwahati are alternatives.
• Rail: Naharlagun is the nearest railhead, with daily trains from Guwahati and weekly trains from New Delhi.
• Road: Itanagar is well connected by road from Guwahati (~390 km, 8–10 hours) and from Lilabari (~70 km).

Indian nationals require an Inner Line Permit (ILP) for Arunachal Pradesh; apply online via the e-ILP portal. Itanagar and Papum Pare are commonly approved destinations.

Foreign nationals require a Protected Area Permit (PAP) arranged through a registered Arunachal operator.

Late February in Itanagar is mild — daytime temperatures around 20–26 °C, nights around 10–14 °C. Pack light layers and a light jacket for the early morning ground.

Itanagar and Naharlagun have a wide range of hotels — Hotel Donyi Polo Ashok, Hotel Pybas, Hotel Arun Subansiri and many mid-range options. Book at least 2–3 weeks before Nyokum.

• Ask the Nyibu's permission before photographing the Yugang altar or active ritual.
• Morning light at the Itanagar ground is ideal for portraits of Nyishi men in cane helmets.
• A 24–70 mm zoom plus a 70–200 mm for circle dances is a versatile pairing.

• Itanagar — Ita Fort (14th-century brick fort), Jawaharlal Nehru State Museum.
• Ganga Lake (Gyakar Sinyi), Itanagar.
• Pakke Tiger Reserve (East Kameng) — a 3–4 hour drive.
• Ziro Valley — a 5–6 hour drive (good combination if travelling onward).

Photographs from Nyokum Yullo, shot on our own departures and by license-cleared contributors.

Nyokum Yullo is a living cultural event hosted by the Nyishi community. Please attend as a respectful guest, not a spectator.

• Day 1 — Arrive Itanagar via Lilabari; visit Ita Fort and the Jawaharlal Nehru State Museum.
• Day 2 — Full day at the central Nyokum Yullo ground: Nyishi priest (Nyub) chants, mithun and rice-beer offerings and community dances.
• Day 3 — Visit Nishi villages around Itanagar and Yupia; Nyokum prayers at a village altar.
• Day 4 — Drive to Ziro Valley via Yazali for Apatani villages and paddy-cum-fish terraces.
• Day 5 — Return to Itanagar / Lilabari for departure.