BEHDIENKHLAM 2018-JOWAI, MULONG MUSIANG MUCHAI BY LEENO'S PHOTOGRAPHY

Mulong – LiCho dienkhlam na Khloo Musiang- Rah dienkhlam na iaw cha ki dong wei pyniein deinkhlam. Muchai- Sympat yung, choh thyndai, rah rot cha Aitnar wa Knieh khnong BEHDIENKHLAM It is the most important festival of the Jaintias and is celebrated mid-July every year after the sowing is over. "Khlam" means plague or pestilence'and "beh dien" means to drive away with sticks. Organized annually by the Seinraij Jowai, this unique festival is held after the sowing season is over so as to overcome any destructive forces of nature including diseases by invoking the God for a good harvest. Besides being the most colourful religious festival, it is also the most important and unique dance festival of the Jaintias. The ceremony and ritual was carried out for four days and on the last day, in the afternoon people gathered in a place called Aitnar and both young and old danced to the tunes of the pipes and drums. “Aitnar” – a sacred pool. The Behdienkhlam literally means driving away the plague as “Khlam” means ‘Plague’ and “Beh Dein” means to drive away the plague. The unique and ancient festival of Behdienkhlam, celebrated by Jaintia or Pnar tribal community of Meghalaya, is the ritualistic expression of the relentless struggle of mankind to overcome the destructive forces of nature, including diseases, since the dawn of civilization. This festival is also an invocation to God seeking blessings for a good harvest. Women offer sacrificial food to the spirits of the ancestors The Behdienkhlam Festival, is celebrated by the Pnars as a form of homage which is paid to the Gods of the Seven Huts who arrived in the region from heaven and established a kingdom here. Courtesy for Music : Seinraij Jowai vitsit https:\\www.facebook.com/leeno_photography for more photos of Behdienkhlam

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