This paper examines the traditional practices of head-hunting among the Ollo community of Tirap District, Arunachal Pradesh, with particular focus on the Paang, the male dormitory that served as both social institutions and rituals space. Based on oral narratives collected from the research field, the study reconstructs the sequence of events from the act of taking an enemy’s head to the ceremonial rituals performed in the Paang (Dormitory). Drawing from oral narratives, the study traces how head-hunting functions as both a martial traditions, deeply connected to their notions of honor, bravery, and social cohesion. After a successful head-hunt, the severed head was brought to the Paang, where warriors and community members gathered and celebrate in the Paang while praising the Kahang which mean the great warriors. The study adopts an ethnographic, utilizing oral narratives, in-depth interviews, and participant observation to gather data. The key findings reveal that head-hunting was not merely an act of warfare but a ritualized practice. The research documents oral heritage of the Ollo community, preserving narratives that have never been recorded in written form. It analyse the transformation of socio-political and religious institutions under the influence of Christianity and modern governance.
