Tagin refers to a tribe of Arunachal Pradesh

Arunachal Pradesh

Arunachal Pradesh is a state of India, located in the far northeast. It borders the states of Assam and Nagaland to the south, and shares international borders with Burma in the east, Bhutan in the west, and the People's Republic of China in the north. The majority of the territory is claimed by...

, which is a member of the larger designation of Tani Tribes

Tani Tribes

The Tani Tribes is a group of tribes from the state of Arunachal Pradesh, India with certain common belief systems; primarily, their belief in Abotani as their primeval ancestor. The group comprises Adi, Apatani, Hill Miri, Nishi and Tagin. They are also often referred to as the Tani group....

. Most Tagins are concentrated in Daporijo

Daporijo

Daporijo is a census town in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. It is the headquarters of Upper Subansiri district. Daporijo is located at an elevation of 600 m above sea level.-Demographics:...

, Upper Subansiri

Upper Subansiri

Upper Subansiri is an administrative district in the state of Arunachal Pradesh in India.-History:The district was formed when Subansiri district was bifurcated into Upper and Lower Subansiri districts in 1987.-Geography:...

 district but some are also found in adjoining parts West Siang

West Siang

West Siang is an administrative district in the state of Arunachal Pradesh in India.-History:In 1989 territory was given from West Siang to East Siang district -- since 1999 this territory has been in the new Upper Siang district.-Geography:...

. In 1971, about 20,000 claim to be of Tagin ethnicity. Tagins are generally adherents of Donyi Polo, although two groups of Tagin–the Nga

Nga people

The Na or Nga people is a small tribal group residing in the higher reaches, below the great Himalayan ranges in Upper Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh, India. Within the district, they are found in the villages within Taksing circle: Gumsing, Taying, Esnaya, Lingbing, Tongla, Yeja, Reding,...

 and Mara

Mara (Tagin)

Mara refers to a tribe in Arunachal Pradesh. The Mara are ethnically Tagin although they claim to be a separate group, just like the Nga to the north, but they acknowledge a common ancestry. Like the Nga, the Mara also engage in barter trade with the Tibetans in the north prior to the closure of...

 have come under the influence of Tibetan Buddhism. Tibetan Buddhist influence among these sections of the Tagin was a result of migration of Tibetans from the north in the 18th century as well as visits by Buddhist missionaries of the Nyingma

Nyingma

The Nyingma tradition is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism . "Nyingma" literally means "ancient," and is often referred to as Nga'gyur or the "old school" because it is founded on the first translations of Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Tibetan, in the eighth century...

sect who paid tribute to the chiefs as a result of Tibetan settlement in their land.

The most important festival of the Tagins, Si-Donyi, involves the veneration of the earth(si) and the sun(donyi).