Millet as a Cultural Heritage: Phong Noctes of Tirap, Arunachal Pradesh

Traditions and cultures of any society are dynamic and evolve over time in response to social and technological advancements. This paper attempts to explore how deeply the significance of millets is embedded in the social and cultural life of the Phong Nocte community. Across generations, millets have been cultivated and have provided food and nutritional security to the community. Millets play a significant role in the life of the Phong community, as they ensure continuity of cultural and traditional occupations. In other words, millets not only serve as a source food but also possess cultural utility, as their use is traditionally integral to festivals, rites of naming, house inauguration ceremonies and other social occasions. Thus, it is imperative to examine the role of millets in preserving the cultural heritage of the Phong community. However, with the advent of modernity, the cultural aspects and ethical values associated with millet cultivation have gradually declined over time.