Introduction

One of the most popular tourist destinations in India, much of the charm of Meghalaya lies in the pristine purity of the state which is accentuated by the tribal essence that surrounds the culture of Meghalaya completely. The region of the Khasi Hills is especially famous for upholding the tribal flavor to which much of the region owes its fame. The tradition of the region concentrates on the various methods of worship which include Animism, which is basically a thought, which believes that all living beings on the earth, sky and sea as well as the heavenly bodies and natural elements like the rain are primeval forms of divinity. Celebrating this primeval form of worship is the Nongkrem Dance, Shillong held in November each year.

The Nongkrem Dance is one of the most important festivals of the Khasi Hills and was started as celebration of Thanksgiving to the Almighty. The festival which is generally held during the months of October and November is characterized by a special dance called Nongkrem. One of the major centers of this 5 day long festival is at the cultural capital of the Khasi Hills at Smit, located just about 11 kms away from Shillong.

The Important Rituals

The most important ritual of the festival begins with the Pomblang ceremony, in which the Syiem of Khyrim along with the high priest offers oblation in the form of a cock to a Lei Shyllong, the main presiding deity of the Shillong Peak. This is followed by another sacrifice, this time, that of a healthy goat, which is made in an attempt to seek the blessings of deceased ancestors. The entire proceeding is presided over by the Ka Syiem Sad, the eldest sister of the king who is the chief priest as well as the caretaker of all ceremonies.

The Nongkrem Dance

Perhaps the most important attraction of this festival is the Nongkrem Dance, a riot of color and silk, where all the men and women of the tribes express their oneness with nature through their exotic dances. The dance which is held on the fourth day of the festival is made even more exotic by the glimpses of heavy gold, silver and coral ornaments that add a dash of brilliance to the already special ceremony. There are basically two dances typical to the ceremony. One of these is the dance that takes place at dawn when virgins from the 'Syiem' house take part with the Syiem Sad shaded by an umbrella, dance opening the royal dance. This is followed by the Nongkrem Dance in which unmarried girls make an inner circle around which an outer circle is formed by men both married as well as unmarried. The dance is made even more attractive with the contrasting steps of the men and the women. The men whose dance steps are even more vigorous than the women's flash their glittering weapons which create a brilliant contrast with the delicate feminine steps of the women.

Concluding Ceremony

The festival concludes with the Syiem offering special prayers of thanks and asking for the blessings of the Almighty for the entire kingdom for the year to come.

Tourtoindia.com offers online information on the Nongkrem Dance, Shillong (Nov) and other regions of India.To avail this facility or for more information on the various regions of India, please, enter your queries in the form below