Padam people

Padam is a sub-tribe of the Adi tribe of Abotani clan, comprising major clans Borang, Pertin, Ratan, Perme, Lego, Saring, Yirang, Megu and Tayeng. Padam makes up 30 to 35% of the Adis and is the strongest sub-tribe of the Adis.They were warriors, and fought against British. Their indigenous land is watered by the Yamne river flowing through the valley. Although it is almost 70 kilometers from Pasighat, it resides in Upper Siang district and all over Lower Dibang Valley and makes up about 50 percent of Lohit district. Padam people have their major festival as Solung Lune, Solung etor[1] or solung lutor and unying aaran.

Diorama of Adi Padam people in Jawaharlal Nehru Museum, Itanagar.

They usually grow their food, mainly rice. The padam people eat birds, animals (pig, cow, Mithun). They are great hunters and usually have licensed guns and eyok (long metal swords).

Padam men wear different varieties of clothes and costumes such as red, blue or black coats with a different varieties of design and a cotton cloth on the bottom and bamboo helmets with boar teeth on their head design with bear hairs or red dyed yak tails also carrying different varieties of yoksa(Tibetan swords) and daggers with Tigers teeth attached to the rope of the sword and naturally coloured stones as necklace called tadok, whereas women wears gale on top of their head and a black cotton cloth with gale on the botton, they wear necklaces called sondorong as their traditional dress.