NCPA Presents Living Traditions: Festival of Arunachal Pradesh — Folk Music and Dance Traditions of the Eastern Himalayas

India’s vast musical landscape finds one of its most evocative expressions in its folk traditions, where music, ritual and community life are deeply intertwined. The National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) presents the 15th edition of Living Traditions, focusing on the rich and relatively lesser-explored cultural heritage of Arunachal Pradesh, a region where performance traditions emerge from nature worship, agrarian rhythms and indigenous belief systems. Led by Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar awardee Dr. Delong Padung, around 35 artistes from the Karpung Karduk Centre for Folk Performing Arts will bring to the stage the living artistic traditions of the Adi tribes of the Eastern Himalayas over two evenings. Join us for an evening of immersive exploration through song, dance and storytelling, rooted in community memory and the landscapes of Arunachal Pradesh.

Living Traditions: Day 1

Experimental Theatre | March 6, 2026 | 6:30 pm

An NCPA Presentation

The opening evening presents a series of folk performances reflecting the spiritual imagination and everyday life of the Adi community. From Yoyo Gaga: Lullaby of Tani, which narrates the mythical birth of the first human through sacred lullabies, to the celebratory enactment of the Solung Festival, the performances explore themes of creation, harvest, reverence for nature and collective harmony. Pieces such as Pasi Kongkio Telo depict rituals honouring forest deities, while Nero Aming Maya traces the agricultural cycle through movement and song. The evening concludes with Memu Nayo Ye Bepo Lamro Ko, a lively portrayal of playful community bonding expressed through music and dance.

Guided by Dr. Delong Padung, a folk artiste and cultural practitioner deeply committed to preserving indigenous performance traditions through the Karpung Karduk Centre, each presentation is introduced with sociocultural context, allowing audiences to understand the symbolism embedded within gesture, costume and chant.

Age Recommendation: 6+ | Late entry not permitted

Duration: Approximately 90 minutes

Living Traditions: Day 2

Experimental Theatre | March 7, 2026 | 6:30 pm

An NCPA Presentation

The second evening explores the relationship between landscape, identity and spirituality through folk song and dance traditions of the Eastern Himalayas. Ngoluke Ome Ko: Song of the Sacred Himalayas celebrates ancestral memory through lyrical imagery of mountains and natural abundance, while Asi Rai E Gale: Dance of the Rivers traces the journey of Himalayan waters that ultimately form the Siang and Brahmaputra rivers. Through Momam Ponung, audiences encounter the symbolic significance of traditional attire and ornaments as expressions of strength and cultural identity.

Narrative sequences such as Tangko Nyone and Nanyi Mete evoke seasonal renewal through folklore, culminating in Donyipolo Amik Matai Rangrafrah Buddha, which reflects the indigenous philosophy of Donyipoloism and its reverence for nature. The performances combine chorus singing, rhythmic movement and storytelling traditions that continue to be practised within community life today.

Under Dr. Padung’s artistic direction, the ensemble emphasises authenticity and continuity, presenting these forms not as reconstructions but as practices sustained within the Siang valley’s living cultural ecosystem.

Come visit us and experience the living traditions of Arunachal Pradesh through evocative music, dance and storytelling, complemented by a display of indigenous artefacts and handicrafts across both evenings.

Age Recommendation: 6+ | Late entry not permitted

Duration: Approximately 90 minutes