Shillong: Shad Nongkrem, popularly known as the Nongkrem Dance, a major indigenous religious and cultural festival of the Khasi tribal community, was celebrated amid joy and grandeur at Smit on Monday.CM Conrad K Sangma extended greetings to the people through a social media post. “Shad Nongkrem or Nongkrem Dance is a grand carnival that celebrates the uniqueness of the Khasi culture. May this day establish strong bonds among the community and restore peace and harmony in our State and country,” he said.The five-day festival, known as Ka Pomblang Nongkrem, is held annually at Smit, the headquarters of the Hima Khyrim, about 20 km from Shillong. It is organised in honour of ‘Ka Blei Synshar’ and is associated with prayers for a good harvest and the prosperity of the people.The Syiem, or king, of Khyrim, Dr Balajied Syiem, presides over the festival. Along with the high priests, he performs the Pomblang ceremony and offers prayers to Lei Shyllong, the presiding deity of Shillong Peak.Maidens and young men in traditional attire and adorned with gold and silver ornaments perform dances in front of the Iing Sad, a thatched palace.The women’s dance is called ‘Ka Shad Kynthei’. The silver and gold crowns worn by the maidens symbolise the glory and dignity of Khasi matrilineal society. The crowns are decorated with Tiew Lasubon, a rare, sweet-scented golden flower found in the region’s deep forests, symbolising purity.Umbrellas are held over the heads of the princesses when daughters of the royal family take part in the dance.The men, carrying swords and white yak-hair whisks, perform Ka Shad Mastieh to the beats of drums and the tunes of the tangmuri, a traditional wind instrument.The Nongkrem Dance is a major tourist attraction, drawing visitors from across Meghalaya, other parts of India and abroad.
