Wangala festival food is the post-harvest feast of the Garo people of Meghalaya: home-brewed chu (rice beer), pork and chicken cooked with an alkaline ash liquid, dry-fish curries and rice cakes. The first chu is poured for Misi Saljong, the sun god, in thanks for the harvest, and then shared by everyone [1][3]. In 2026 the big “100 Drums” Wangala in West Garo Hills celebrates its 50th edition, around 11–14 November [8][9].
Quick facts
- What: Wangala, the harvest thanksgiving festival of the Garo (A·chik) people, also called the Festival of the Hundred Drums [1].
- Where: Garo Hills, Meghalaya, and Garo communities in Assam, Nagaland and Bangladesh [1].
- When: Villages hold it between September and December. The state-level 100 Drums Wangala is held at Wangala A·dam, Chibagre, West Garo Hills [1][3][8].
- 2026: The 50th (Golden Jubilee) edition, planned with about 1,000 drums instead of the usual 100 [8][9].
- Signature food and drink: chu (rice beer), wak pura (pork), do’o kappa (chicken), nakham bitchi (dry-fish curry), banana-flower chutney and pitha (rice cakes) [3][4].
What is the Wangala festival?
Wangala is how the Garo say thank you for the harvest. It honours Misi Saljong, the sun god of fertility, also called Pattigipa [1][2]. Traditionally, Garo families do not use the new crop until this thanksgiving is done [2].
Each village sets its own date, and the festival usually runs for two or three days, sometimes a week [1]. On the first day the priest, the kamal, performs Rugala, pouring rice beer and offering the new harvest, inside the house of the village chief, the nokma [1][7]. This is followed by Cha·chat So·a, the burning of incense [1]. Then come the drums: long, oval dama, played by dancers in feathered headgear called do’me [1].
The famous “100 Drums” Wangala began on 6–7 December 1976 at Asanang, about 18 km from Tura, and has been held every year since [1].
When is Wangala 2026?
The 50th 100 Drums Wangala is expected around 11–14 November 2026, but sources give slightly different dates.
The Highland Post reported on 7 October 2026 that the Golden Jubilee would run from 11 to 14 November at Wangala A·dam [8]. Office Holidays lists Friday, 13 November 2026 as Meghalaya’s Wangala holiday [10]. A tour operator’s listing gives 12–14 November at Asanang [11]. Check the Meghalaya government’s final schedule before you travel. In 2025, the 49th edition opened on 6 November at Chibagre [3].
Wangala festival food: what do the Garo eat?
The feast is built on the new harvest: rice, pork, chicken, dry fish and forest vegetables, washed down with chu. Families cook with what has just come in from the fields [7]. Here are the dishes named most often.
Chu (rice beer)
Chu is brewed at home in the weeks before Wangala. It is poured for the deities first, then offered to guests and shared among families [3]. The Ministry of Tourism’s festival page calls it central to the celebration [2].
Wak pura and do’o kappa (pork and chicken)
Meghalaya Tourism describes wak pura as pork cooked with a potash made from burnt plant material or dried banana stems, which softens the meat and keeps spices light [4]. Do’o kappa is chicken cooked with natural potash and served with rice [4]. Another account describes wak pura as pork with bamboo shoots [3], so recipes clearly vary from home to home.
Nakham bitchi (dry-fish curry)
Na’kam is dried fish, one of the most important ingredients in Garo cooking. Fish caught in season is dried, fermented and smoked to last the year [5]. Meghalaya Tourism calls nakham bitchi a spicy dry-fish gravy and a prized delicacy [4]. One festival report describes it as a herby chicken curry instead [3]. We follow the tourism board here, since the name itself points to dry fish.
Banana-flower chutney and pitha
Me·kin or sobok chatni, a banana-flower chutney, is served with most Garo meals [4]. Soft, sweet rice cakes called pitha close the feast [3].
What is kalchi, the Garo ash water?
Kalchi (also spelt karitchi) is an alkaline liquid made by filtering water through the ash of burnt banana stalks or bamboo. It is the backbone of dishes like kappa, which are cooked without oil [5][6]. It was also used in place of salt, which was scarce and costly in the hills [6].
The word “pura” causes confusion. Meghalaya Tourism uses it for the potash itself [4], Outlook Traveller for a rice-flour congee with vegetables and roselle [5], and one festival report for smoked meats [3]. Ask a Garo cook and you may hear any of the three.
If you grew up in an Assamese home, kalchi will sound familiar. Our own khar is made the same basic way, by filtering water through the ash of dried banana peel [12]. Assamese meals often begin with a khar dish [12], much as Garo kitchens lean on kalchi.
How can you taste Garo food if you can’t go to Wangala?
Start with what Garo cooks start with: rice, a little meat or dry fish, chilli and the alkaline kalchi. A few simple ways in:
- Look for a Garo or Meghalaya food stall at Northeast festivals in your city.
- Cook chicken in the kappa style: no oil, with ginger, chillies and herbs [5].
- Serve hot rice with a chutney on the side, as Garo meals usually come with one [4].
Wangala sits in a busy season of Northeast harvest and family feasts. In Manipur, the same month brings Ningol Chakouba, a festival feast for married daughters.
Frequently asked questions
What is Wangala festival?
Wangala is the post-harvest thanksgiving festival of the Garo people, honouring Misi Saljong, the sun god of fertility. It is celebrated in the Garo Hills of Meghalaya and in Garo communities in Assam, Nagaland and Bangladesh, with rice beer offerings, dama drums and dancing.
When is Wangala festival 2026?
The 50th Golden Jubilee 100 Drums Wangala is expected around 11–14 November 2026 at Wangala A·dam, Chibagre, West Garo Hills, according to the Highland Post. Office Holidays lists 13 November as Meghalaya’s Wangala holiday. Check the state’s final schedule before travelling.
What food is eaten during Wangala?
Wangala feasts centre on the new harvest. Common dishes include chu (rice beer), wak pura (pork), do’o kappa (chicken cooked with natural potash), nakham bitchi (a dry-fish curry), banana-flower chutney and pitha, soft sweet rice cakes that close the meal.
What is chu in Garo culture?
Chu is the Garo rice beer brewed at home in the weeks before Wangala. During the Rugala ritual it is poured as an offering to the deities, and afterwards it is shared among families and offered to guests as part of the festival feast.
Why is it called the 100 Drums festival?
The state-level Wangala brings together a hundred dama, the long oval Garo drums. The first 100 Drums Wangala was held on 6–7 December 1976 at Asanang near Tura. For its 50th edition in 2026, organisers are planning about 1,000 drums.
Taste it
Garo food loves its chillies, and so do we. Our Spice Lovers Box brings together Original Bhoot Jholokia, Mild Bhoot Jholokia and Aam pickles from our Assamese kitchen, for a spoonful beside hot rice. New to bhoot jolokia? Read our guide to the ghost pepper first.
Spice Lovers Box → | All gift boxes | Want us to stock Garo foods like nakham (dry fish)? Join the list on WhatsApp
Image credits
- Featured image: Wangala Dance, 44th Wangala Festival, by Visma kumar, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
- Garo feast served in bamboo, by Sam Marak, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
- Garo handmade bamboo jug and mugs, by Sam Marak, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
- Spice Lovers Box: GHARSA.
Sources
- “Wangala”, Wikipedia (used as a pointer). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wangala
- “Wangala Festival”, Utsav, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. utsav.gov.in
- “When the hills dance to a hundred drums”, Borderlens, 6 November 2025. borderlens.com
- “Culinary heritage”, Meghalaya Tourism, Government of Meghalaya. meghalayatourism.in
- “Take a closer look at the Garo cuisine with Chef Nambie Jessica Marak”, Outlook Traveller (OT Eats). oteats.outlooktraveller.com
- Aatreyee Dhar, “Karitchi, no longer a forgotten condiment of Garo cuisine”, Village Square, 21 November 2024. villagesquare.in
- “Wangala Festival – Harvest Festival of the Garo Tribe”, Humans of Northeast. humansofnortheast.com
- “Meghalaya gears up for Golden Jubilee Wangala Festival”, Highland Post, 7 October 2026. highlandpost.com
- “Meghalaya gears up for 50th Golden Jubilee celebration of Wangala festival”, Nagaland Post, 29 September 2026. nagalandpost.com
- “Wangala Festival in Meghalaya in 2026”, Office Holidays. officeholidays.com
- “Wangala Festival 2026”, Northeast India Festivals (tour operator listing). northeastindiafestivals.com
- “Assamese cuisine”, Wikipedia (used as a pointer). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assamese_cuisine
