SHILLONG : The five-day Shad Nongkrem festival, one of the most significant traditional cultural celebrations of the Khasi community, concluded on Sunday at Iing Sad in Smit, the erstwhile capital of Hima Khyrim, around 15 kilometres from Shillong.
The annual festival is celebrated to seek blessings from Ka Blei Synshar for a bountiful harvest, prosperity and the well-being of the people. It commenced with the sacred Pomblang Nongkrem ceremony, during which the Syiem of Hima Khyrim, along with the high priest, offered a goat as a sacrifice to propitiate Lei Shyllong, the deity associated with Shillong Peak, and the ancestors of the Syiem clan.
The religious rituals were followed by traditional dances featuring young unmarried maidens dressed in colourful Khasi attire and young men in traditional regalia, carrying swords and Yak-hair chowries. Their performances, accompanied by the rhythmic beats of drums and the melodious sounds of the tangmuri, added to the grandeur of the celebration in front of Iing Sad.
The open field surrounding the venue was transformed into a vibrant festive marketplace, with stalls showcasing traditional handicrafts and local delicacies. The celebration attracted large numbers of visitors from across Hima Khyrim, along with domestic and international tourists.
Presiding over the festival in his traditional royal attire, Syiem of Hima Khyrim, Dr Balajied S Syiem, emphasised the importance of preserving the community’s cultural heritage amid changing times.
He said the people had continued to preserve and nurture the traditional dances inherited from their ancestors, stressing the urgent need to protect their cultural roots despite the changes taking place in the modern world.
Highlighting financial challenges in organising the festival, Dr Syiem expressed gratitude to the Union Tourism Ministry for extending financial assistance over the past decade. He also expressed hope that the grant would be increased and appealed to the Centre for greater support to preserve and promote the traditional festival.
Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar, who attended the concluding day, expressed happiness over the growing participation and scale of Shad Nongkrem, observing that the festival had continued to gain prominence year after year.
“I am very happy to see people of Nongkrem and nearby villages coming forward to celebrate Shad Nongkrem. This festival is growing year after year and I really enjoyed it. The infrastructure today is tremendous. I thank the Chief Minister for always supporting the Hima,” Dhar said.
He further assured that the state government would continue extending support to the Syiem’s office whenever assistance was sought.
Emphasising Meghalaya’s tradition of religious harmony, Dhar said the government supported people of all faiths and wanted every religion to flourish in the state.
“Our government supports all denominations. Whether it is Christmas or any other religious festival, we are always behind our people. We want all religions to flourish. The uniqueness of Meghalaya is that Christians respect non-Christians and non-Christians respect Christians,” he said.
Health Minister Wailadmiki Shylla, MDCs and other dignitaries were also present during the concluding celebrations.