Popir Folk Dance of Arunachal Pradesh

Galo tribe of Arunachal Pradesh is known for its popular Popir dance. This tribe celebrates several festivals around the year. The traditions they follow are something that you might not have heard or witnessed before.

Mopi festival

Galo tribe is a Himalayan tribe inhibiting Arunachal Pradesh since time immemorial. They speak the Tani Galo language and are known for some peculiar practices. One of the important festivals celebrated by the Galo tribe is the Mopi festival. It is celebrated in April month. There are various interesting beliefs associated with this festival.

The major tradition involves thanking God and praying for the good health and prosperity of the community. The prime objective of the festival is to ostracise the evil spirits that bring bad luck to the people.

The Popir dance is also an important tradition of the Mopi festival. It is performed with dancers in traditional ornamented attire. 

Purpose of The Dance

Popir dance is done for recreational primarily after the completion of important rituals of the Mopi festival. The dance is a tribute to the Goddess Mopin Ape. She is the Goddess of prosperity and fertility. She is one of the most revered goddesses of the Galo tribe. This makes the Popir dance a crucial part of the celebrations. 

Popir Dance Attire

The way Popir dancers dress up is pretty interesting. It is mainly performed by female members of the clan. These dancers wear pure white blouses and wrap skirts, that have red or maroon thread work on them. The use of bamboo is prevalent when it comes to accessories. A band of big coins is tied around the waist. Tufts of bamboo threads are tucked into this waistband.

Long necklaces of multi-color beads are an important part of the attire. The faces are smeared with a white powder of rice flour. The heads are covered using a white cloth that hangs on the back. A special headgear made of bamboo is also used by some dancers. The headgear has bamboo tufts drooping from it. Heavy metal rings are worn in the ears. 

Popir Dance Performance

Popir dance comprises of simple and elegant moves. The dancers make small movements with their feet. They also form a chain holding each other’s waist and then swing their feet in unison. A signature step involves holding a piece of equipment in their right hands and dancing with the body slightly bent forwards. These few steps are done in repetition. 

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