The harvest festival of Meghalaya’s Garo people known as the “100 Drums Wangala” is Wangala.
Wangala is a post-harvest festival celebrated by the Garo people of Meghalaya in northeastern India, as well as by related communities in neighboring areas. It honors Saljong, a deity associated with fertility and the sun, and marks the end of the agricultural year.
The best-known modern celebration is the 100 Drums Wangala Festival, introduced in 1976 at Asanang, near Tura. Its name highlights the large ensemble of traditional drums accompanying dances and processions. Participants wear distinctive garments, play drums and gongs, and perform group dances.
Wangala is not the same as Homowo, the Ga people’s festival in Ghana. Both are harvest-related celebrations, but they belong to different cultures, continents, and religious traditions.