Traditional Dress of Nyishi Tribe of Arunachal Pradesh is simple, ethnic and colourful. It speaks volumes of state’s rich cultural heritage. Members of the Nyishi tribe, both men, and women, are recognized by their elaborate outfits. The traditional dress of the tribe is now-a-days worn during festivals and social gathering. Costumes and additional decorative are worn conforming to the status of the person. Carrying a short sword and a knife in a bamboo sheath is an essential feature of men’s traditional attire. Traditional adorning also includes a spear with an iron head, a large sword, and a bow with arrows; tipped with poison on it.Traditional Dress for Men of Nyishi Tribe
Nyishi men wear cotton sleeveless shirts with the mantle of cotton locked around the throat and shoulders. They normally tie their hair with a Tibetan thread just at the forehead with a brass skewer permeating through the tied hair in a horizontal fashion. Men wear cane rings around the waist, arms and legs. Additional decorations vary depending upon the status of the person and mainly are symbols of manly valour.Sharp pointed bamboo stick and head helmet made of animal skin or cane together make their traditional headgear. The headgear is decorated with The Great Indian Hornbill’s feathers and topped with the Hornbill’s ivory and beak. The usage of actual hornbill beaks is discouraged these days due to tough wildlife protection laws since the great Indian hornbill is a protected species and generally due to growing awareness among the people as well.Traditional Dress for Women of Nyishi Tribe
Nyishi women drape a cotton mantle around the body and tie one portion at right shoulder and keep open the left shoulder. They tie a red ribbon around the waist and wear waistband with metal disks and cane garters. Women look lovely in elaborate attire. Most of the Nyishi women carry a basket on their back to pick firewood or grains from the fields.There’s a huge change in the dressing style of the young Nyishi generation and they have embraced the modern or urban dressing style while preserving their culture and traditions.
Source:(indiannetzone.com)