Nyokum Yullo (Nyishi festival dance)

Understand

Where Nyokum Yullo (Nyishi festival dance) comes from

Nyokum Yullo is the central festival of the Nyishi (the largest tribe of Arunachal Pradesh, particularly of the Papum Pare and the Lower Subansiri districts) celebrated annually in February at the Nyokum Yullo ground of the state capital (Itanagar). The festival is the most important cultural-religious celebration of the Nyishi community, with the dance and the music being central to the observance. The Nyokum Yullo is one of the most distinctive regional traditions of Arunachal Pradesh and is regularly performed at the cultural programmes of the state.

How it's practiced

Nyokum Yullo is performed by men and women of the Nyishi community in a circle at the central courtyard of the village or at the open ground of the festival at Itanagar. The men and women perform in coordinated steps to the song of the Nyokum Yullo cycle and to the rhythm of the dhol and the small regional instruments. The dance is gentle, with the small stepping rhythm of the Nyishi tradition. Costume is the traditional Nyishi dress — the colourful wrap and the small regional headdress with the beadwork of the community. Performances are at the Nyokum Yullo festival and at the cultural programmes of the state.