Khasi Festivals and Dances

FESTIVALS

SHAD SUK MYNSIEM:    Dance of the joyful heart, it is a thanksgiving dance celebrated usually in April.  It is an important festival of the Khasis, held at Weiking.  This dance is popularly known as Shad Weiking and celebrated for three days.  On the first day, male dancers gather at Seng Khasi Hall and together in procession walk to Weiking accompanied by drums and flutes, this dance on the first day is known as the Shad Nohkjat.  In the evening the dancers return to the Seng Khasi Hall, located at Mawkhar, to resume dancing outside the hall.  The third day is the biggest day, dancers flock the ground, bejeweled girls attired in traditional finery and silver clad men in colourful costumes dance to the beating of drums and accompaniment of flutes.  People from all walks of life come to the ground in their traditional dresses.  During these three days male dancers return back from the ground in procession along with drummers and flutist to resume dancing display outside the Seng Khasi Hall for an hour or so.

NONGKREM DANCE:  This festival is performed at Smit village.  The festival is essentially a commemoration when the evolutionary process of Khasi matured into the formation of democratic states.  The legendary Shillong Peak stands testimony to this episode, when the Creator in divine congregation manifested in the person of 'U Shyllong' and bestowed the art of democratic governance and the rule of justice.  Pah Syntiew was ordained to pro-generate the linage of elected rulers (Syiems) on the formation of Shyllong State (HIMA).  The Hima shyllong was later bifurcated into Hima Khyrim and Hima Mylliem,  the Headquarter of Hima Khyrim was then shifted from Nongkrem to Smit in 1830.  For three consecutive nights (Pamtiah, Umni, Ieduh) solemn reverence and obeisance is paid to U Lei Shyllong (the creator as conceived in the person of U Shyllong),  U Suid Nia Long Syiem (the ancestral maternal uncles) and to the venerated progenitress ancestress "Ka Pah Syntiew"  of the ruling lineage.  A sanctification ceremony of the Tangmuri, as queen of the musical instruments, form part of  the ritual.  exegesis is also made on the entrails of fowls and decapitated goats presented by each Raid (Zilla) of the Hima.  A separate ceremony is performed on the third day being the Iewduh market of the week.  On the fourth day, virgins and youths attired in traditional dresses, dance in the courtyard of the Iingsad, on the fith and last day, amid pin drop silence of midnight, the Syiem knells down and offers a prayer of thanks giving to the Creator.

BEHDEINKHLAM:  a colourful and majestic event celebrated in the month of July to ensure that the crops just sown yield a bountiful harvest.  The actual festival runs for four days, featuring religious ceremonies, processions, dancing (usually in the rain) and an ancient game akin to soccer but played with a wooden ball, known as "Datlawakor".  It is also the most important festival of the Jaintia.  Khlam means plague or pestilence and Behdein means to drive away with sticks.  It is  very popular and colourful, where men only, young or old take part in the dancing to the tune of the drums and flute.  Women do not take part in the dancing but, have an important role to play at home in offering sacrificial food to the spirit of the ancestors.  They evoke their aid and intersection, so that life will be good and worthy.  Men  go round the town and beat the roof of every house with bamboo poles calling upon the plague demon to leave the house.  This is done early on the first day of the festival.  The climax of the celebrations is the tussle, akin to tug-of-war, for a large undressed beam by two groups of people opposed to each other.  The festival is also an invocation to God seeking his blessing for a good harvest.  The soccer game with a wooden ball, known as Datwakor, is performed on the last day of the festival, at Aitnar, Jowai.  Beautiful three or four storeyed Tabuts (Pyramidical topping shape) are displayed in the dancing ground, brought from every nook and corner of Meghalaya is a real treat to the eyes.  These tabuts resemble the Muharram festival of the Muslims.  The Behdeinkhlam festival celebrated at Tuber is considered to be the biggest and grandest.

DANCES