It may be mentioned that a day ahead of the Wangala, a ritual called Rugala is performed by the Nokma ( Village Chief) and in this ritual, the offering of the first hand special rice-beer along with cooked rice and the vegetables are given to Misi Saljong, the Great Giver. The Rugala ceremony concluded for the days activities with the Rhythm of 100 drums.
Addressing the Wangala troupes and the crowds, Thomas A Sangma recalled the valuable contributions of the pioneers of the then Wangala Festival Committee to promote, protect and preserve the tradition and culture of the Garos. Looking at the increasing peoples’ participation in the festival, he said that this will help to safeguard the culture and traditions as well as boost the morale of the political leaders.
Endorsing the chief guest in his remarks about the importance of preserving and promoting the traditions of the Garo tribe, F C A Sangma expressed her gratitude for being given a chance to attend the festival and also mentioned about the pioneers of the Wangala festival and their foresightedness in preserving the unique culture of the Garos. Further, she said that despite embracing Christianity and other religions, she urged the people to preserve and protect the culture and traditions of the Garos.
The day’s events also included the Indigenous Games of Tug of War, Ajea and Doroa cultural competitions, amongst others. In the final Tug of War the Rongkhon team defeated the Rompa Matgrik team from Baghmara. The Rongkhon team has been the defending champion for fourth time in a row.