The most colorful festival of Arunachal Pradesh, Chalo Loku is a harvest festival that is celebrated in the month of October-November annually; right after the harvest of the paddy field, and before the start of the new Jhum cultivation. The festival got its name from three words: Cha meaning paddy; Lo, which means season, and Loku, which means festival. It lasts for three days, with the first called Phamlamja, the second day is Chamkatja and the third and final day is called Thanlangja. The highlight of the festival is the rice bear, which is prepared specially for this day.
On the first day i.e. Phamlamja, buffaloes, and pigs are sacrificed for the meat, and villagers engage themselves in hectic preparations for the next day. The most important day of the festival is second day, also known as Chamkatja, as this is when the Chamkat ceremony takes place. On Thanlangja, the final day of the festival, villagers of every age take part in the dance festival, which is performed at the Chief’s house and in the premises of the Paang. Also, the families who have observes Chamkat are also invited to dance, Thanlangja is also a day for the people to visit their relatives and friends and exchange pleasantries.
