Festivals are an important part of our lives. They provide us with regular opportunities to celebrate, to feast and to meet up with friends and relatives. Amongst the multitude of festivals taking place in India, the Lower Dibang valley of Arunachal Pradesh celebrates a festival of sacrifice - organized annually. Arunachal Pradesh is located in the north-east part of India. It shares international borders with Bhutan in the west, Burma in the east and China in the north. Arunachal has its own set of distinct and impressive traditions, festivals and culture. The state is legendary for its natural beauty and simplicity. Its people are brave, hard-working and honest. In this area lies the small town of Roing. The scenic town is a hidden corner of unspoilt beauty. The Idus believe that they are the children of the divine mother 'Nanyi Inyi-taya'. None can get her blessings unless they perform a puja or celebrate the Reh festival. The festival is celebrated somewhere during February to August every year depending on the area’s climatic conditions. The festival is marked by the coming together of the Idu Mismi people, who live in different parts of the country but come together to celebrate this festival. The Reh festival is celebrated over a period of six days. The auspicious festival begins with a day called Andropu. On that day the host of the festival and his family offer prayers so that the festival may progress smoothly. It is followed by a dance in the night to celebrate the beginning of the festival. This six day event helps the people from the other parts of the country to understand the culture and traditions of Arunachal Pradesh. Eyanli is the second day of the festival which is also known as the Sacrifice day. It is considered to be the most important day of the six. On this day a large number of mithuns and pigs are sacrificed which are brought beforehand and tied near the houses. No festival is complete without Mithun sacrifice in Arunachal. The severed head of a Mithun or a pig is given to close friends and relatives. After the sacrificial ceremony gets over, a big feast is organised to entertain the guests and relatives with rice, meat and Yunyi-phri. Yunyi-phri is a locally made rice beer. The preparation of this rice beer is undertaken on a large scale, three to four months before the actual celebration. The third day of this festival is known as Iyili . On this day a massive feast is arranged to entertain guests and relatives. Raw meats and cooked food along with Yunyi-phri are gifted to neighbouring villages. A pig catching competition is also organised on this day to keep the guests entertained. After the competition the pigs are sacrificed and distributed among the participants. Next day of this festival is Ilyi-ro-munyi. On this day the priest performs rituals and offers prayers for the wealth, health and all round prosperity and the for general well-being of the host and the family of the festival. The fifth day is called Aru-Go
