Arunachal Pradesh, often referred to as the “Land of the Dawn-Lit Mountains,” is home to 26 major tribes and over 100 sub-tribes. This cultural mosaic boasts diverse traditions, rituals, and artistic expressions. However, modernization, migration, and lack of documentation have pushed many indigenous practices to the brink of extinction.
Below are the top 5 Arunachal Pradesh cultural practices that are about to extinct, each representing a unique aspect of the state’s vanishing intangible heritage.
1. Apatani Facial Tattooing and Nose Plug Tradition – A Vanishing Identity Marker
Among the Apatani tribe of Ziro Valley, older women were once instantly recognizable by their unique facial tattoos and bamboo nose plugs known as yaping hurlo. These tattoos—lines running from the forehead to the tip of the nose and on the chin—were believed to make the women unattractive to raiders from neighboring tribes, protecting them from abduction.
This practice, deeply tied to Apatani cultural identity, has been entirely abandoned since the 1970s due to changing social norms, government discouragement, and evolving aesthetics. Today, only a handful of elderly women bear these traditional marks, making it one of the most endangered cultural symbols in Arunachal Pradesh.
2. Nyishi Shifting Cultivation Rituals – Fading Agricultural Heritage
The Nyishi tribe practiced jhum cultivation, a form of shifting agriculture, which involved not just ecological techniques but also a host of rituals and oral chants meant to invoke blessings for a bountiful harvest. These rituals include offerings to Donyi-Polo (sun and moon deities) and spirit appeasement ceremonies conducted by village shamans or nyubu.
As more communities transition to settled agriculture and government policies discourage slash-and-burn farming, these Nyishi agricultural rituals are rapidly disappearing. The oral transmission of ritual chants is also waning as younger generations migrate to urban centers and adopt modern livelihoods.
3. Monpa Woodblock Printing of Buddhist Texts – Endangered Religious Craftsmanship
The Monpa community of Tawang and West Kameng districts once specialized in woodblock printing of Buddhist scriptures, a sacred art inherited from Tibetan traditions. Artisans would meticulously carve wooden blocks for printing prayer books, thangkas, and ceremonial texts in classical Tibetan script.
Due to the digitization of Buddhist scriptures and dwindling interest among youth in this labor-intensive craft, this traditional Monpa woodblock printing is nearing extinction. Only a handful of monks and elderly artisans in select monasteries continue to possess the skills, and the materials (specially prepared paper and ink) are now rare.
4. Wancho Headgear and Ceremonial War Dances – Decline of Warrior Traditions
The Wancho tribe, known for their warrior history, once celebrated their martial legacy through intricate headgear adorned with boar tusks, hornbill beaks, and human hair, along with ceremonial war dances such as the Oriah festival.
With Christian conversion, anti-headhunting laws, and changing values, these traditional war symbols and dances are now restricted to cultural festivals and museum exhibits. The younger Wancho population seldom participates in the rituals, leading to a sharp decline in authentic Wancho warrior cultural expressions.
5. Idu Mishmi Shamanic Healing Practices – Disappearing Indigenous Knowledge
The Idu Mishmi tribe of Dibang Valley were once highly respected for their shamanic healing practices, carried out by igus (priests). These shamans performed complex ceremonies involving chants, animal sacrifices, and communication with ancestral spirits to cure illnesses, solve disputes, and ensure community well-being.
Today, fewer than a dozen trained igus remain, and the younger generation shows little interest in undergoing the 10–15 years of apprenticeship required. The growing reliance on modern medicine and erosion of animist beliefs are accelerating the extinction of these Idu Mishmi traditional healing practices.
Each of these endangered practices is more than a ritual—it represents a worldview, a historical memory, and a communal identity. The loss of such Arunachal Pradesh cultural heritage would mean the erasure of centuries of wisdom, art, and spiritual connection to nature. Urgent efforts are needed from local communities, scholars, and policymakers to document, revive, and pass down these traditions before they vanish completely.