If rhythm had a tale, this would be its sound. Every November, the emerald hills of Meghalaya resound with the beat of a hundred drums, echoing across valleys, rivers, and time itself.
It is also called the Wangala Festival, or the 100 Drums Festival, the largest occasion when the Garo Hills celebrate harvest, unity, and thanksgiving.
When is the Wangala Festival 2025 celebrated in Meghalaya?
The 49th 100 Drums Wangala Festival will be held from 6th to 8th November 2025 at Wangala A·dam, Chibragre, about 18 km from Tura in West Garo Hills, Meghalaya.
When the hills begin to hum in the 100 Drums Festival
The festival opens softly. On the first day, inside the home of the Nokma (village chief), the ritual Ragula is performed. Offerings of rice beer are made, prayers are whispered, and gratitude is spoken to Misi Saljong, the Sun God of fertility. It’s intimate, humble, human.
By the second day, quiet gives way to music. This is Kakkat, when dancers in bright traditional Dakmanda and Daksari fabrics spill out into the open fields. The men carry long, oval drums called dama, while the women move in graceful lines beside them. It's a symphony of percussion and movement that can be felt in your chest before it reaches your ears.
The air fills with the sound of gongs, buffalo-horn flutes, and the laughter of children darting through the crowd. Every beat is an offering to the land-a rhythm that thanks the soil, celebrates the harvest, and connects generations.
What is the story and meaning behind the 100 Drums Festival?
For the Garo people, the Wangala is more than a festival. It's a pulse-a living symbol of identity, unity, and gratitude. It marks the end of the agricultural season, when fields are resting and hearts are full. Over time, it has grown not only as a thanksgiving ritual but also as a cultural anchor, preserving the rhythm of a community in an ever-changing world.
How do the Garo people celebrate Wangala?
You are standing in the crowd, and you can feel the drums are more than instruments; they are storytellers, telling of the seasons, the sun, rain, and the quiet resilience of the people living close to the earth.
Tura is the cultural heart of the Garo region and well-connected by road from Guwahati (5–6 hours) and Shillong (8–9 hours). One can stay in local guesthouses or eco-lodges that boast of warm hospitality and authentic Garo cuisine at Tura.
Wangala 2025 rituals and cultural performances
Expect community meals, live music, art stalls, and dance performances throughout the festival. The festival’s colours, the reds, yellows and greens of Garo attire, are as alive as the hills themselves.
Travel guide | How to reach Tura for the 100 Drums Festival
Tura is the cultural heart of the Garo region and well-connected by road from Guwahati (5–6 hours) and Shillong (8–9 hours).
Visitors can stay at local guesthouses or eco-lodges in Tura, which offer warm hospitality and authentic Garo cuisine. Expect community meals, live music, art stalls, and dance performances throughout the festival. Cash is handy, as ATMs are limited, and so is patience; the hill roads curve beautifully, but slowly.
You don’t just watch the Wangala; you feel it. And this year, as Meghalaya stands one heartbeat away from 50 years of Wangala, the celebration feels even more profound.
Also read: Best places to visit in November in India: Where winter feels just right
