Solung

Solung is such a festival of Adi inhabiting Siang, East Siang, West Siang, Upper Siang and parts of lower Dibang Valley Districts of Arunachal Pradesh. It is believed that Solung is the youngest or the last Festival of the Adis. The word Solung is a combination of two words – ESO + ALUNG = SOLUNG, which means Mithun and herd. It is so called because plenty of Mithun are sacrificed during the festival to propitiate numbers of benevolent spirits.

Introduction[edit]

The great civilizations on earth are marked by various distinct social customs and traditions. These basically bind the society together. Festivals are the means which reflects the customs and traditional cultures of a community. It renews and revitalizes the dormant cultures and traditional cultures of a community. It renews and also adds a festive and joyous mood among the people. Solung is such a festival of Adi inhabiting Siang, East Siang, West Siang, Upper Siang and parts of lower Dibang Valley Districts of Arunachal Pradesh. It is believed that Solung is the youngest or the last Festival of the Adis. The word Solung is a combination of two words – ESO + ALUNG = SOLUNG, which means Mithun and herd. It is so called because plenty of Mithun are sacrificed during the festival to propitiate numbers of benevolent spirits.

Types of Solung[edit]

There are basically three types of Solung : -

Name of festival	Month
Gedi Solung or Dorung	March 7
Solung Luutor	May 15
Solung Luune	September 1

Type 1: Solung Luutor[edit]

The Solung Luutor is meant for male folks and “DELONG” – an all male groups dance is performed on this occasion. It is observed in the month of May every Year and lasted for 3 weeks after finishing fencing around the agricultural field.

Type 2: Gedi Solung[edit]

The Gedi Solung (DORUNG) is observed after the harvest of jhum crops, Gedi Solung or DORUNG SOLUNG which literally means Mithun meat + eats before die + occasion. Its origin is not from legend and myth but historical fact. In an epidemic which claimed many lives in the village of Teri Kumting, Maano- a respectable man from Keysing Kumting went to see his children and family. Unfortunately, he was caught by that epidemic and died there. People thought that if great personality like Maano could fell victim to that disease, ordinary people would never be spared from that epidemic. So, they slaughter hundred of Mithuns to propitiate Gute Gamro for appeasing from that disease and are meat before they would die. Incidentally, no one died and that promoted them to believe that the epidemic was prevented from further spread by slaughtering hundred of Mithuns.

Type 3: Solung Lunne[edit]

The Solung Luune which is the greater part of solung festival is meant for female folk “Luune” means Solung +Ane which means mother of Solung occasions. That is why the active part of merry making and propitiation is played by the women folks, particularly the virgins girls by performing Ponung, a typical marry-go-around, group dance performed by virgin girls. The ponung follows the poetic rhapsodic singing of Ponung Aabang(story) by a male priest.

Historical saying[edit]

Legends say that princess of underworld Kine Nane was married to the ruler of upper world Doying Bote and gave birth to benevolent spirit out of their wedlock. Kinne Naane sent Solung as the last gift to the people of ENGO TAKAR and advised them to perform the festival for remembrance to her and Doying Bote. In due course, the people of ENGO TAKAR became extinct and being the adopted child and the last burial rite of Engo Takar people was performed by Tani and he inherited all properties including culture, Agriculture and ritual activities of Engo Takar and since then Solung has rolled down century together from generation to generation to the Adis till today. The Solung Lune is celebrated by the Adis with great enthusiasm and religious fervor in 1st September every year for three days.

Day 1[edit]

The first eve of Solung evening on 1st September is a warm welcome to benevolent spirits to the Gute Gamro, the owner of the domestic animal through Gumin Soyin, the designer of life with rituals offering done with ritual chanting to appease Dadi Bote. This rituals worship offering is called Agam Keypel. The Aabang chatted by the Miri in this night is called Liimir Liibom. The Miri (priest) plays with Yoksa (Musical instrument) in such a scale that the steps of ponung dance are synchronized and progresses in a rhythmic pose. The Aabang chanted by the priest and followed by ponung Mimum dancing with slow motion from left to right in a single rhythm is worth seeing. In Liimir Libom the priest narrates on the evolution of universe and other celestial bodies and then picks up creation of various plants and animals of this abode of human being. Special emphasis is given on creation of Mithun from a giant animal called Liimir Sobo. It blocked the communication roads of the heaven and earth. No one would dare to remove it even after many attempts. At last, the people of Dadi Somi killed Liimir Sobo and cut it into pieces which were thrown into different places and from which different forms of animals and plants grew up. A ground creeper (Epum) germinated from one part of tactical of Liimir Sobo and bear fruit. It is believed that an insect inside the gourd later on grew bigger and bigger and took shape of an animal called Mithun. There was a controversy over the ownership of the Mithun. After all deliberations, Engo Takar people got the ownership of the Mithun and later on Tani inherited the belongings of Engo Takar along with the Mithun.

Day 2[edit]

The second night of Solung is called Binnyat. The miri start his ponung narration about Pedong Nane who was married to Yiidum Bote. She gave birth to thousands of children but she could not provide even sustainable food to them. To bring them up Pedong Nane had tried her level best to end out appetite and thirst of their bellies by offering the “Ngarsi – Ngarlung” Sobo (dew and frost) and Liipun-Liiyang Sobo (meat of rocks and Neolithic stone) but in vain. After that Tuusin Roodong told Pedong Nane to sacrifice a Mithun and a Pig. Accordingly, all relatives and children of Pedong Nane were invited to the feast and distributed the meat to all of them. It is believed that all edible plants of the earth sprouted the meat to all of them. It is believed that all edible plants of the earth sprouted from the meat. From the vital part of Dende Sebo which were given to Kiine Nane crops like Maize, Paddy, Millet etc, germinated in the land of Sutkin kedeng for which Kiine Nane became prosperous.

Day 3[edit]

The third night of solung is Taktor which begins with Sedi Melo genealogy up to the last activity of Dooni. Pedong Nane disappeared while Dooni was an infant. So his sorrows and mental agonies were endless. He took shelter in caves and hollows of trees but had no food to kill his belly’s appetite. The Aabang dwelt at land on the development of Tani and his separation from Robo. The knowledge Tani was imparted with by Gumin Soyin in various fields is vividly described. Victory of good over the evil is depicted. It is believed that some evil spirits are still lingering in the atmosphere and trying to inflict on human body os well as domestic animals. Taktor is performed by fastening bows and arrows on the main passes of every house with pieces of red ginger, or chilies on the tip of arrows to disperse malevolent spirits and safeguarding the humanity as a whole.

Change and Continuity[edit]

Evolution and revolution are natural phenomenon. Changes are indispensable results of evolution and revolution but changes bring forth to effect rectification and improvement in a society. In such processes undesirable forces and elements are eliminated and desired ones are retained, so as to bring improvement and enlighten. Solung, being a part of our society, is no exception to it. Solung, the most glorious and prime festivals of the Adis, too undergo the same process. With the advancement of education, the entire socio-religious-economic structures of Adi community have undergone inevitable change to cope with the changing world. Solung, which is the most important festivals of the Adis could not be spared from such changes. It is an evidential fact from the present civilized society that culture changes according to technological and other effect but changes do not mean elimination only. As said above earlier, in the process of change, undesirable elements are eliminated. The crude culture of Adis is also passing through the process of refination with every passing year adding something new and dynamic to the culture. Its own glaze and shape improves where by valuable rectification is made. In the same sense, Solung also see remarkable changes in its path of growth. In early days, the celebration of Solung was more or less different from the present days of Solung. Experiences and experiments have taught us that celebration of festivals is best occasion for befriending and excelling cooperation. So, the glorious Solung has extended its benevolent wings beyond Adis and reaches other community other that Adi as well. It is commonly observed that the people belonging to different communities are seen chanting and dancing merrily, Adi folk songs during Solung. Thus, we can say that technology widens our knowledge and knowledge in turn changes our lives and cultures. The impact of technology and other factors which are responsible for effecting changes and improvements in Solung is commendable. The theme of the Solung remains unchanged and intact but the mode of festivity has experienced remarkable changes. Technically organized agencies are constituted for pompous celebration of the highly spirited solung. Each specialized organ performs its duty and prepares the matter of Solung to the fullest availability for celebration of Solung glorious success. Commercializations of Solung also use to find no place in ancient Solung but the change of commercialization has crept in steadily into the heart of modern Solung. Various stalls, counters etc, are erected for commercial purposes in the Solung . Lottery, Cultural Competition and other win and walk off competitions are carried out in open to all basis. Modest Adi girls and boys adorned with Adi traditional attire, smiling and inviting you to their commercial stalls will surely render you to yield to them. Holding a bamboo beer mug in Solung is just next to blessing of goddess experience. Well furnished stalls with fullest supply of food, meat and beverages accompanied with slow background music, that too, host by refined mannered ladies is sure to enthrall and entice one off his wit. The Adi Solung has withstood many odds and comfortably adjusted to the modern mode of celebration. Religious conversion has , no doubt, greatly retarded its growth, also innocence and ignorance of the people too hinder the expected growth of Solung to the fullest. But in spite of those odds we will continue to celebrate Solung traditionally right till the existence of the universe.

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

This article about a religious festival is a stub. You can help EverybodyWiki by expanding it.

External links[edit]

Sample video at Youtube by Tasum Mize Sep 7, 2019
Official Tourism Site of Arunachal Pradesh, India

solung, a festival of adis- not foung in wiki,so i tried to create.[edit]

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