Meghalaya Celebrates 50th Wangala Festival

The 50th Hundred Drums Wangala Festival is being held from 11 to 14 November 2026 at Garo Heritage Village, Wangala A'dam, Chibagre, in Meghalaya’s West Garo Hills district. The Golden Jubilee marks the 50th anniversary of the organised festival, which began in 1976.

Festival programme and guests

A post-harvest thanksgiving ceremony of the Garo community, Wangala honours Misi Saljong, the Sun God of fertility, for a bountiful harvest. Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma attended the inaugural programme on 11 November and joined the drumming. This special edition features a “Rhythm of 1,000 Drums” performance and 3,000 dancers. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is scheduled to attend on 12 November, while Union Tourism and Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat is the chief guest on 14 November.

Golden Jubilee events

The festival aims to enter the Guinness World Records. Preparations include Rs 20 crore for developing Wangala A'dam and Rs 6 crore for organising the festival. The 1,000-drum celebration fulfils a vision of former Lok Sabha Speaker and National People's Party founder P. A. Sangma. A Handloom and Handicrafts Exhibition with 300 stalls was also inaugurated.

Important Facts for Exams

• Opening rites: Wangala’s first-day rites are Rugala, the pouring of rice beer, and Cha·chat So·a, incense burning; the priest called the Kamal performs them in the Nokma’s house.
• Closing dance: Dama Gogata, performed by men and women with drums, flutes and brass instruments, takes place on the final day of the Wangala celebrations.
• Village observance: Traditional village Wangala is celebrated by two or three collaborating villages, usually for two to three days but sometimes for as long as a week.