The Donyi Polo Day is being celebrated by indigenous faith believers across Arunachal Pradesh by offering prayers to Nature gods and goddesses in various traditional prayer halls (ganggings) or temples for the Donyi-Polo faith.The day was celebrated with traditional zest and religious zeal, where traditional prayers to appease the Nature God, ‘Sun (Donyi) and Moon (Polo),’ were offered. Hundreds of believers of Donyi-Poloism thronged the venues across the state to offer prayers on Wednesday.
Sharing his wishes on social media, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu said the declaration of December 31 stands as a powerful affirmation of our indigenous roots.“Donyi Polo is not a borrowed belief. It is who we are. It is the foundation of our ethics, our relationship with nature, and our understanding of truth. We are not ‘followers’ of Donyi Polo; we are Donyi Polo. What is inherited from our ancestors cannot be abandoned, diluted, or replaced,” Khandu said.Arunachal Pradesh Governor Lt Gen (Retd) K T Parnaik greeted the people of the state, especially followers of the Donyi Polo faith, on the occasion and called for renewed efforts to preserve and promote the state’s age-old cultural traditions that define its indigenous identity.
In his message, the Governor said Arunachal Pradesh is blessed with a rich blend of indigenous faiths and cultures, with the legacy of the Abo Tani people occupying a special place. Meanwhile, Lok Sabha MP Tapir Gao attended the Donyi Polo Day celebration at Donyi-Polo Yelam Kebang Ruksin and inaugurated the Donyi Polo Kumko Building. Speaking on the occasion, Gao said the day is of immense importance for the believers of indigenous faith of Donyi Polism, who pray to Donyi and Polo (Sun and Moon) as God, for Donyi Polo is the natural power that sustains the entire globe and the natural beings
