The Padam are one of the major tribes of the Adi people

Adi people

The Adi, or Bangni-Bokar Lhoba people is a major collective tribe living in the Himalayan hills of Arunachal Pradesh, and they are found in the temperate and sub-tropical regions within the districts of East Siang, Upper Siang, West Siang and Dibang Valley. The older term Abor is a deprecated...

 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...

. Rich in both cultural and oral tradition, the Padams are known for fiercely guarding their Democratic Society.

The Padam reside in the hills and the valleys of East Siang

East Siang

East Siang is an administrative district in the state of Arunachal Pradesh in India.-History:In 1989 territory was transferred from West Siang district to East Siang. A decade later, in 1999, the district was bifurcated to make Upper Siang district....

, Upper Siang and Lower Dibang Valley Districts. Famous for their community strength and feared for their war tactics, the Padams always looked for more land to occupy.

Damro is one of the most important ancestral places of the Padams. Its importance is passed down in oral recitation and daily beliefs and because many of the generations remember it as the place from where their forefathers migrated. Damro in true Adi Style(which is typical of Adi linguistic practises) Stands or is made out of two basic words, Padam and Aro. Padam is the name of the group. Aro means real or original. Dambuk, Silluk, Kiyit, Ngopok, Ayeng and Bolung are some well known Padam villages with interesting ancestry.

Each village has a village Head under whom all the proceedings of the Kebangs (meetings) are held. These Kebangs are held to settle sny disputes among local villagers

The Padam are adherents of Donyi-Polo

Donyi-Polo

Donyi-Polo is an animist religion, literally meaning "Sun-Moon" . It is followed by many of the tribal groups of Arunachal Pradesh, India like the Galos, Adis, Apatanis, Nishis, Hill Miris, Mishings...

. Donyi Poloism is the practice of praying to the almighty Sun goddess and The Moon God. A thing to be noticed is that the Adis might be among the few people in the world who practise a religion where Sun is the Goddess and Moon the God. Donyi and Polo are the visible forms of the omnipresent Gods Bo and Bomong.

Names

Surnames used by Padams are based on family lineage.

The following is a list of surnames used by them:
Gretchen,
Pertin,
Perme,
Lego,
Saring,
Tayeng,
Borang,
Yirang and
Ratan.
Padams bearing each surname are further subdivided into several clans. For example, the Pertins have the following clans:
Tinte,
Tintung,
Tinbang,
Jomat,
Jotan and
Jongkeng.

While Tayengs are further subdivided into:
Kibing,
Kirang,
Kidang,
Sapkom,
Sapno,
Tonkir and
Tonmuk
And the PERME were subdivided into 3(three) main clan:
MEIYI
MEKOP
MEBANG

Festivals

The festivals celebrated by the Padam are very similar to those of other Adi tribes, including:

Name of festival	Dates
Aran	March 7
Solung Etor	May 15
Solung	September 1
Donyi Polo Longe	December 31