The hills of Meghalaya came alive as the Chief Minister inaugurated the 49th Hundred Drums Wangala Festival at Wangala A’dam, Chibagre, in West Garo Hills. 

• The festival, a grand celebration of Garo heritage, marks the thanksgiving ceremony to the Sun God, Misi Saljong, for a bountiful harvest.
• The Chief Minister announced that the Golden Jubilee edition in 2026 will be expanded into a 1,000 Drums celebration with full government support. 
• He also highlighted that the festival’s cultural significance was recently featured in IndiGo’s November 2025 inflight magazine.

Significance and Cultural Essence

The Wangala Festival, often called the “Festival of Hundred Drums,” is the most important post-harvest festival of the Garo tribe.

• It symbolizes gratitude to nature and celebrates unity, rhythm, and harmony among the Garos.
• Celebrated annually in November, it features traditional dances, drum beats, indigenous games, and ritual prayers.
• Men and women dressed in colorful traditional attire perform the Dama Gogata dance, synchronizing their movements to rhythmic drumbeats.
• The festival showcases handloom, handicraft, and agricultural heritage, linking culture with livelihood.
  

Preserving Indigenous Heritage

CM Sangma also announced a state-level research initiative to document the migration and origins of Meghalaya’s tribes — tracing the Garos to Tibet and the Khasis and Jaintias to Southeast Asia. The initiative aims to connect youth with their ancestral knowledge through video documentation and training in traditional practices.

Exam Hook: UPSC Prelims Question

The Wangala Festival is primarily associated with which of the following tribes?
(a) Konyak
(b) Garo
(c) Lepcha
(d) Khasi

Answer: (b) Garo

One-line wrap:
Wangala, the festival of a hundred drums, echoes not just the rhythm of Garo culture but the heartbeat of Meghalaya’s living heritage.
SOURCE