Podi-Barbi festival

The ‘Podi-Barbi’ is a harvest festival celebrated by the Ramo, Pai-Libo and Bokar communities of Mechukha  sub-tribe of the Adi ,West Siang  District of Arunachal Pradesh, It is an Agricultural festival celebrated every year on the month of December in the harvesting season, This festival manifests the magnificent cultural heritage and traditions of the communities.

The "Podi-Barbi" means a small cricket-like migratory insect which makes a tweeting sound and migrates from far-flung places and arrives at the time of harvesting season in the region. Meanwhile, the primitive people did not use any calendar by which they could know the exact time of harvesting, they took the arrival of this small insect as their calendar to know the particular season.

Apparently, when the insect arrives at the region the festival is celebrated in order to welcome the harvesting season and the ceremonial extend   to thanksgiving  to the goddess Mother Nature  for a great harvest in current year and then praying  for sufficient growth of crops in coming years as well and also pray for  abundant hunting of wild animals.

However, the sacrifice of domestic animals during the festival is another feature of the celebrations and the ritual is performed by local priest called ‘Nyubu’,
While during the ceremonial men and women folk clad in traditional attire enjoy the day with fun and merry making.
 
Similarly, the people of the region used to depend basically on agricultural products for their living, they grew maize, millet and paddy cultivation along with vegetable items, which they still practice though in very limited quantity. Maize was used as their staple food crop as cultivation of paddy in hilly and rocky terrain was quite difficult and even if cultivated it was in scanty amounts.

However, Culturally  and traditionally the people are very rich, Even so, they have not abandoned the practice of growing maize, millet and other vegetable items for themselves as well as raising domestic animals.

The last day of the ceremonial after completions of the rituals the men and women folk distribute wine and other delicacies to guests and invitees. Local wine ‘Opong’ made of millet and maize is vogue during this day. Traditional songs known as ‘Jaying and Bari’ is common among the elder people and the youths perform traditional dance on entertainment mode.