Culturally North Eastbound: Expedition through the Khasi Heritage of Meghalaya

YM LEI LEI! HUE, KUMNO?(Wondering what’s up with our content team?) Ym Lei Lei and Hue, Kumno, translate to Welcome, Hi, How are you? Wondering what language this is? It is Khasi, spoken in the land of Meghalaya. “Khasi” originates from the word ”Khas” meaning hills.Every fragment of India’s rich cultural heritage speaks about what an astounding experience it is to visit every nook and corner of this beautiful land. As the terrains change and you take those turns, you’re welcomed into a newer yet familiar world. It is a feeling of going into someplace absolutely unknown, yet the India within that place greets you like your favourite cousin at a family wedding. As we move along the beautiful terrain of Meghalaya in this blog post, we’re going to discuss all you need to know about the Khasi Community from Meghalaya. So let’s hop on to this culturally engaging ride and get to know India a little better with Alight India.

● History: As per the folklore amongst the Khasi community, it is believed that ‘Ryngkew’ and ‘Basa’ asked God to be blessed with children. God showered his blessings in the form of five children in the form of sun, moon, fire, wind and water. In order to take care of the earth, it is also believed that God sent ‘7 Divya Kul from the 16 Divya Kul’ from Heaven. It is said that there was a golden bridge by the name of Jingkieng Ksiar that was a connecting link between the Earth and Heaven. Another belief was, in order to communicate with Heaven, there was Lum Sohpetbneng or Mount of Heaven’s Nave, on the top of which was a sacred Oak Tree. After a period of time, when the Divya Kul were known to not obey God’s laws, the Oak Tree was demolished which led to the Divya Kul remaining on Earth. The Khasi community traces back its origin to these 7 Kul. Khasi community is believed to be one of the earliest immigrant tribes, travelling across Patkai Hills to Assam. Meghalaya is known to be the motherland of the Khasi Tribe.

● Native Tribal Religions: Khasi community follows its own native tribal religions. However, over time due to an influx of Christian missionaries, the tribe saw about 85% of its population conversion to Christianity. The tribe members who still follow the tribal religions are known as Niamkhasi and Niamtre. Niamkhasi involves worshipping U Blei Nongthaw, believed to be the supreme being amongst the community. Niamtre involves the worship of spiritual disciplines and deities associated with nature, such as rivers, forests and mountains. Both Niamkhasi and Niamtre align towards the principles of interconnectedness of living beings. They centre their focus towards preservation of harmony in the community and the importance of cultural heritage. Mon Khmer is the local language amongst the community members.

● Taste Buds Galore: Khasi community boasts of its unique and delicious palette of local cuisines and delicacies. The palette originates from the agricultural roots and staples such as rice, millets along with locally grown vegetables. One of the speciality dishes amongst the community is Jandoh, which is basically a flavourful and fragrant rice. It is cooked along with pork or chicken with indigenous spices flavoured with ginger and garlic. Another dish that stands tall is Doh Neiiong, a rather flavourful pork curry which is tastefully simmered in authentic black sesame seed paste. Bamboo shoots and fermented foods in the likes of tungrymbai allow the addition of the extra oomph factor to the local cuisines making them delectable and special to the community.

● Festivals and Celebrations amongst the Khasi Community: Every fibre of this close knit community weaves into a rich cultural heritage and a vibrant vigour of celebrations. Steeped in age-old traditions, the Khasi people celebrate a variety of festivals that bring forth their cultural and spiritual beliefs, agricultural practices and the social norms and customs. One of the most notably celebrated festivals from the Khasi calendar is Shad Suk Mynsiem, which translates to Dance of the Joyful Heart. (If that doesn’t talk about the vibrancy of culture, what else does?) This festival marks the onset of the new agricultural season and the start of spring. It is a treat for the eyes and soul to witness people adorning colourful traditional attire’s dancing along their joyful hearts as a community. - Another widely celebrated festival amongst the Khasi community is the Ka Pomblang Nongkrem. It is a beautiful grandiose insight into the Khasi culture celebrated over a period of five days. There are dances, while adorning colourful attire with silver jewellery along with music and chantings paying homage to their ancestors and the spirits. This is done to seek blessings and prosperity for the coming agricultural crops.

● Khasi community celebrates various other events throughout the year like Shad Shukra. It is a harvest festival specifically dedicated to honouring the spirit of paddy. Another ritualistic event that’s believed to ward off evil spirits and diseases from the community is the Behdienkhlam. Post the harvest season, Wangala is celebrated to honour the abundance of the crops.

Khasi community boasts of the richness of Meghalaya’s indigenous heritage and culture. India and its roots of different traditions are bound to captivate everyone who gets a chance to experience it. Be it the local delicacies or the traditional dances, the joyous spirit of the Khasi people is a fascinating and spell bounding glimpse into the depth of India. Meghalayan culture, its deep rooted flavours of cuisines and the warmth of the hospitality make it a must visit place when planning to dive into the interiors of the country. It should be noted when visiting any place as a matter of fact, that you’re a tourist. While you will be welcomed like one of their own, yet you must take care of the fact that the respect for the place and its people should be adhered to in all forms. If you enjoyed learning about the Khasi community in this post, stay tuned we’ve got more such interesting topics coming right up on Alight India. We help you to know India a little better, one post at a time