Ziro Festival of Music

Ziro Festival of Music is an outdoor music festival held in the Ziro valley in the northeast Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. It showcases the independent music scene in India. The festival was founded in 2012 by Bobby Hano and Menwhopause guitarist Anup Kutty, and has featured artists like Lee Ranaldo, Steve Shelley, Damo Suzuki, Shye Ben Tzur, MONO, Divine, Acid Mothers Temple, Louw Majaw, Shaa'ir n Func, Indus Creed, Peter Cat Recording Co, Menwhopause, Guru Rewben Mashangva, and Barmer Boys among others. The festival is spread over four days and is hosted by members of the Apatani people in Ziro and is touted to be one of the most eco-friendly festivals in the world by employing locally sourced materials to build the festival infrastructure. The festival is supported by Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and the Department of Tourism, Government of Arunachal Pradesh.

Festival grounds

Ziro Festival is noted to be one of the most eco-friendly festivals in India employing locally sourced material for the infrastructure. The festival has two stages, Donyi (Sun) and Polo (Moon), constructed by local artisans and made almost completely of bamboo. This is inspired by the animist Donyi Polo faith prevalent in the tribes of Arunachal Pradesh. The festival has a zero plastic policy and encourages attendees to be responsible for leaving behind no waste.

Music

The Ziro Festival of Music presents a variety of music genres from rock to folk with a large emphasis on emerging acts from northeast India. Over the last few editions, the festival has also focussed on classical musicians with performances by Jyoti Hegde, Dr Kamala Shankar and Sukanya Ramgopal. The festival has also featured several international alternative acts like Lee Ranaldo from Sonic Youth, Damo Suzuki, Acid Mothers Temple, MONO and Nubya Garcia.

The Journey

The journey to the Ziro Festival of Music is an adventurous one and was once notorious for being inaccessible for most. During the early years, the closest airport used to be Guwahati Assam which was a 17 hour drive from the festival. With connectivity now changing, the journey has become more accessible. Although there are no direct flights to Ziro, the closest airport is in Holongi, Arunachal Pradesh around 100 kms away. There's also an overnight train from Guwahati to Naharlagun, Arunachal Pradesh from where one can take a 3-hour cab ride to Ziro. One can also board an overnight train or bus to North Lakhimpur and opt for shared cabs.

Formalities for Ziro Festival of Music

Entry tickets to Ziro Festival of Music are available on the festival website. All non-Arunachali Indians need an Inner Line Permit and foreigners need a Protected Area Permit to enter Arunachal Pradesh. These are available at state tourist offices in all major Indian cities.[1]

[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]

References
  1. Mohinani, Bhawna (8 October 2018). "Ziro Festival of Music- A heavenly abode for Music Lovers". The Ghumakkads. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  2. "The Road to Ziro". Tehelka - Investigations, Latest News, Politics, Analysis, Blogs, Culture, Photos, Videos, Podcasts.
  3. "Ziro: The most famous Indian music festival you've never heard of". Vogue India. 9 October 2014.
  4. Michael Snyder (14 November 2013). "In India's state of Arunachal Pradesh, a hidden valley, an isolated town and silence all around". Washington Post.
  5. Ameta Bal. "Ziro Festival of Music 2015: An Arcadia of Music, Nature and Bonhomie". Artinfo.
  6. "Ziro Festival of Music could be the trip of your lifetime". GQ India. 21 September 2015.
  7. "At Ground Ziro". The Indian Express. 5 October 2014.
  8. "Why the northeast is rocking". The Times of India.
  9. Anshul Kumar Akhoury on Instagram: “The Ziro Valley is mesmerizing enough to change every traveler's perspective. This valley is bestowed with green valleys, cloudfilled…”
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