TRADITION & CULTURE OF SHILLONG & MEGHALAYA

SHILLONG

Shillong, the land of three aboriginal hill communities of Khasi, Jaintia, and Garo showcases a vivid assortment of the existence of the various cultures and traditions since the colonial era. Most of the natives of Shillong hail from the Khasi tribe who are religiously born Christian. Besides that, Bengali and Nepali communities are also a part of the Shillong population. The culture of the Khasi society is different from the other cultures of the rest of India as it is matrilineal by nature with the mother as the head of the family. The rest of India practices the age-old patriarchal culture where the eldest man of the house is the head of the family. The Khasi culture is hospitable and warm towards their guests and out of courtesy they offer betel nut preparation, known as “Kwai”. The offering of “Kwai” and homemade rich beer symbolizes the gesture of alliance and friendship when someone visits any family. The authentic and traditional attire of the Khasi women is ‘Jainsem’ which is a two-piece cloth pinned at the shoulder and covered with a shawl known as ‘Tapmohkhlieh’. On the other hand, the traditional Khasi men wear dhoti, half coat, and turban. The authentic culinary delight of the Khasi community includes Momos, Nakham Bitchi, Minil Songa, Pudoh, Kyat, Tit Tung, Tung-Ryumbai, and so on. A Shillong trip is always an ingenious one with the amalgamation of cultural hues in the society. Shillong also conducts a cultural ritual named ‘Khileh lew’ for the flourishing of economy and commerce. With the British officials establishing the present-day Shillong, the city reflects the British influence in its architecture, food habits, and also the clothing style. However, the traditional houses of Shillong are built in the Assamese style. The festivals of Shillong include the Shad Suk Mynsiem, Nongkrem Dance Festival, Wangala festival, Behdeinkhlam festival, Laho Dance Festival, and much more.

MEGHALAYA

Similar to that of Shillong’s, the authentic tribal communities of Meghalaya are the population of Khasi, Jaintia, and Garo. The Jaintias are believed to be one of the earliest tribal communities of the Indian subcontinent. The ethnicity and cultural diversity of Meghalaya are the major highlights of Meghalaya tourism. The uniqueness, the peculiarity, the warm, the kindness, and the hospitality of the populace are what make the state popular for tourism. Other unique features of the cultural sphere of Meghalaya are their geographical isolation and the practice of matrilineal. The cultural heritage of Meghalaya is said to be rich and distinct with the female dominion status over the male. The people of Meghalaya further depict their cultural vividness through folk dance, which is an indispensible part of them. The dance forms peculiarly reflect the history or the life cycle of an individual. Various festivals are celebrated by the Meghalayan population. Some of the festivals include Ka Shad Suk Mynsiem, Ka Pom Blang Nongkrem, Ka Bam Khana Shonong, Umsan Nongkharai, and so on. The ultimate believe behind celebrating these festivals is that a great number of people that the rituals bring spirit, goodness, and unity among the people and its surrounding. The people of Meghalaya believe in the religion mix of Pantheism and Hinduism. The native Garo women wear an attire which is an unstitched short cloth called Dakmanda which is draped around the waist. During special occasions, they adorn themselves in Assam silk saris. The native men wear unstitched dhoti along with a jacket and a headgear. On a Meghalaya trip, one can delight on the staple food of the people which is a platter of rice, dried fish, and meat. A peculiar feature of their cuisine is that they are strict non-vegetarians, and they consume wild animals like deer, bison, wild pigs, fish, crabs, and so on.