sanuroxz
Super User
After getting some knowledge on High Altitude fish farming we moved on. That was a pleasant morning. I was enjoying the greenery and the awesome view. I was in mood of climbing a hill.. and we did that also.It was totally fun. From the hill top the view was really amazing.
Our next destination was Hija village , the reason we picked Hija is last day I could not get into any Apatani house. And my friend Rohit had few friends who lives in Hija.
Siro resort for comfortable staying options
A hike to the top
Edible plant... Yes i tried the next day with Apong
On the top
Apatanis are often regarded as the ‘Sikhs’ of north east because of their entrepreneurial skill.They have brain and they know how to utilize .
The Apatani society doesn’t have any central command, but their local village issues are settled in-’Buliang’, a village council comprising of village elders/elites, active members and the younger generation, they consult and execute responsibilities in the same order as mentioned. Each clang has a ‘Buliang’ and the members of the ‘Buliang’ gather in a ‘Lapang’( a form of Senate) for a meeting or in case of any festival. However they have a class division in the form of upper and lower. The upper class known as ‘Mite’ and the lower as ‘Mura’, A ‘Mura’ no matter how rich he might be is always below the elite ‘Mite’.
The Apatani society doesn’t have any central command, but their local village issues are settled in-’Buliang’, a village council comprising of village elders/elites, active members and the younger generation, they consult and execute responsibilities in the same order as mentioned. Each clang has a ‘Buliang’ and the members of the ‘Buliang’ gather in a ‘Lapang’( a form of Senate) for a meeting or in case of any festival. However they have a class division in the form of upper and lower. The upper class known as ‘Mite’ and the lower as ‘Mura’, A ‘Mura’ no matter how rich he might be is always below the elite ‘Mite’.
Apatani marriage generally is tribe endogamy (marriage within the tribe) and clan exogamy (one clan marrying another). However the inter class marriage is not permitted. After marriage, the parents help the newly wed couple to settle down, while they choose to live elsewhere. A son inherits his father and a daughter inherits her mother’s ornaments and jewels. Polygamy was generally not practiced, but incase of childless marriage, taking a second wife is accepted. Apatani society doesn’t outcast an unmarried woman bearing a child, in some cases the man who marries a woman with a child before, adopts the child as well. Examples of post-marital affairs are there, but surprisingly with remarkably low conception.
The Apatani religion is animist (belief in the existence of individual spirits that inhabit natural objects and phenomena). They have the Sun (Donyi-Polo) and the Moon (Donio-Polo) as their principal Gods. Apart from these, there are spirits good and evil, and they offer sacrifice to the gods with the help of priests. Their belief on creation though simple, is quite scientific, as they believe the life to begin from water, and the fact that humans have evolved. They also believe that timely offerings to Gods are required to prevent famine, drought or flood.
Apatani’s have two very interesting duel, one is ‘Gambu’ and the other ‘Lisuda’. ‘Gambu’ is generally a mock war,and is declared when a person from one village, suffers humiliation from his adversary in another village. On this grave situation both the parties come together, define a set of rules to fight the ‘Gambu’, which actually is throwing of spears at each other from a distance, the side with the highest casualty or fatality loses. But unlike English duel, the person who has actually been disgraced, may or may not take part in the ‘Gambu’, so clearly others from the village fights on behalf of him. The ‘Lisuda’ however doesn’t necessarily have to between two villages, but is a declaration of destruction of one’s property, and to ruin him economically. A villager who feels that he has been disgraced by another, marches up to the house of the latter, kills a mithun ,leaves the meat to be consumed by other villagers. The man, who killed the mithun in front of the house of his offender, is now the challenger. The person who is challenged now has to put up with him. He, to keep his prestige and honour intact, takes another mithun and kills the mithun in front of the house of the challenger. This continues turn by turn, till one is ruined and cannot find a mithun for slaughter, which means that he is ruined economically. But nowadays the village council intervenes and saves both of the warring parties from destroying themselves.
The hard work, expertise in terrace cultivation makes the Apatanis a very prosperous tribe. Along with their toil, they also maintain a happy and cheerful way of life by organizing many festivals.
Our next destination was Hija village , the reason we picked Hija is last day I could not get into any Apatani house. And my friend Rohit had few friends who lives in Hija.
Siro resort for comfortable staying options
A hike to the top
Edible plant... Yes i tried the next day with Apong
On the top
Apatanis are often regarded as the ‘Sikhs’ of north east because of their entrepreneurial skill.They have brain and they know how to utilize .
The Apatani society doesn’t have any central command, but their local village issues are settled in-’Buliang’, a village council comprising of village elders/elites, active members and the younger generation, they consult and execute responsibilities in the same order as mentioned. Each clang has a ‘Buliang’ and the members of the ‘Buliang’ gather in a ‘Lapang’( a form of Senate) for a meeting or in case of any festival. However they have a class division in the form of upper and lower. The upper class known as ‘Mite’ and the lower as ‘Mura’, A ‘Mura’ no matter how rich he might be is always below the elite ‘Mite’.
The Apatani society doesn’t have any central command, but their local village issues are settled in-’Buliang’, a village council comprising of village elders/elites, active members and the younger generation, they consult and execute responsibilities in the same order as mentioned. Each clang has a ‘Buliang’ and the members of the ‘Buliang’ gather in a ‘Lapang’( a form of Senate) for a meeting or in case of any festival. However they have a class division in the form of upper and lower. The upper class known as ‘Mite’ and the lower as ‘Mura’, A ‘Mura’ no matter how rich he might be is always below the elite ‘Mite’.
Apatani marriage generally is tribe endogamy (marriage within the tribe) and clan exogamy (one clan marrying another). However the inter class marriage is not permitted. After marriage, the parents help the newly wed couple to settle down, while they choose to live elsewhere. A son inherits his father and a daughter inherits her mother’s ornaments and jewels. Polygamy was generally not practiced, but incase of childless marriage, taking a second wife is accepted. Apatani society doesn’t outcast an unmarried woman bearing a child, in some cases the man who marries a woman with a child before, adopts the child as well. Examples of post-marital affairs are there, but surprisingly with remarkably low conception.
The Apatani religion is animist (belief in the existence of individual spirits that inhabit natural objects and phenomena). They have the Sun (Donyi-Polo) and the Moon (Donio-Polo) as their principal Gods. Apart from these, there are spirits good and evil, and they offer sacrifice to the gods with the help of priests. Their belief on creation though simple, is quite scientific, as they believe the life to begin from water, and the fact that humans have evolved. They also believe that timely offerings to Gods are required to prevent famine, drought or flood.
Apatani’s have two very interesting duel, one is ‘Gambu’ and the other ‘Lisuda’. ‘Gambu’ is generally a mock war,and is declared when a person from one village, suffers humiliation from his adversary in another village. On this grave situation both the parties come together, define a set of rules to fight the ‘Gambu’, which actually is throwing of spears at each other from a distance, the side with the highest casualty or fatality loses. But unlike English duel, the person who has actually been disgraced, may or may not take part in the ‘Gambu’, so clearly others from the village fights on behalf of him. The ‘Lisuda’ however doesn’t necessarily have to between two villages, but is a declaration of destruction of one’s property, and to ruin him economically. A villager who feels that he has been disgraced by another, marches up to the house of the latter, kills a mithun ,leaves the meat to be consumed by other villagers. The man, who killed the mithun in front of the house of his offender, is now the challenger. The person who is challenged now has to put up with him. He, to keep his prestige and honour intact, takes another mithun and kills the mithun in front of the house of the challenger. This continues turn by turn, till one is ruined and cannot find a mithun for slaughter, which means that he is ruined economically. But nowadays the village council intervenes and saves both of the warring parties from destroying themselves.
The hard work, expertise in terrace cultivation makes the Apatanis a very prosperous tribe. Along with their toil, they also maintain a happy and cheerful way of life by organizing many festivals.
