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Home » Fairs And Festivals In India » Fairs And Festivals In Meghalaya » Festivals In Jaintia Hills

Festivals In Jaintia Hills


It is the most important and unique dance festival of the Jaintias. It is the most colorful religious festival.  This festival is believed to be   handed over to the  Jowai people by the 'Seven Huts' who came down from heaven and started a new life on earth. It had been foretold that there would be a widespread plaque in the locality and to ward it off the Jaintia sought help from their protector deitied Mulong, U Mukhai and Musniang who advised them to hold the festival annually in  the spirit of good will, brotherhood and joy.  It is celebrated after the sowing period is over.

A month-long preparation and the minor religious ceremonies involving sacrifices were being performed by the Lyngdoh precede the great event. A month before the festival, a sacrifice known as 'Knia Khang'  is performed to ward off all evils. The underlying idea and purpose of this festival is to drive away all evils that plague the human life. At Jowai town, this festival can be seen being celebrated during the month of July. 

A day before the sacrifice, male members of the seven chosen localities of  Jowai go to bring back the Dein Khlam or plague driving trees. They will have to be felled and make ready a week earlier. These big trees are not brought directly  but are kept halfway for the night in a place called Iawmusiang. On the second day, these trees are erected at the centre of each locality. Young men make a symbolic driving away of the evil spirits by beating the roof of every house with bamboo poles. This is done early on the first day of the festival, people dance on the stree with the accompaniment of drum beating and pipe playing.  Each locality made a very colorful tower-like structure known as 'rot' to be carried by around 60-70 people to be immersed  and destroyed in the wah-eit-nar. The climax of the celebrations is the tussle, as seen in a   tug-of-war, for a large tree big  in size known as 'Khnong' is being immersed in  a  muddy ditch called "wah-eit-nar". The immersion ceremony is preceded by religious rites and sacrifices at the sacred pool in the early hours of the morning Mud is generously smeared by the participants on each other which resembles the Holi celebrations of the plains.

In the afternoon datlawakor is played between two teams from the upper and lower valleys of the Myntdu river. It is a kind of soccer with a wooden ball. The sides who wins are believed to be blessed with  a good harvest. The Daloi will act as referee.

This festival is also an invocation to God seeking His blessings for a good harvest. Women offers sacrificial food to the spirits of the ancestors and the ancestress.

Festivals In Jaintia Hills

» Behdienkhlam Festival » Festivals In Garo Hills
» Festivals In Jaintia Hills » Festivals In Khasi Hills
» Nongkrem Dance Shillong » Wangala Festival


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