This village in the North-East has a weird naming custom

Many of you have probably never considered taking a vacation to the interiors of Meghalaya. But you should. The North-Eastern state is incredibly interesting, both in history and culture, and is known for its natural beauty (think of sprawling mountain ranges and green pastures). You can spend time in exploring the countryside, which is home to tribals. Of all the array of 12 lovely hamlets in the state, the village of Kongthong is the place to be. What makes Kongthong worth a visit is the age-old tradition that involves people addressing each other with a particular song or tune. You will actually find people in this village humming a song to call out each other rather. So, strangely there is no tradition of naming the inhabitants of this place like we are usually named.

The people of Kongthong village live in a matrilineal society and, according to them, the centuries-old practice was invented for practice purposes.

To throw light on this unusual practice, E F Sancley, a Ph.D. scholar at the department of English of North Eastern Hill University, told TOI: "When a woman is pregnant, she thinks of a particular tune, sometimes a birdcall, which becomes the name of the newborn. After the birth of the child, adults around it constantly hum that tune so that it identifies with the sound. This is an age-old tradition the origin of which is as distant as the region itself. It is particularly useful during hunting expeditions. When a group goes hunting, they use these sounds to alert fellow members without arousing the curiosity of another group that may be after the same prey."


With what intention and nature the other person is calling you is determined by the pitch and tone of the particular tune. Therefore, the one who is being called on is never wrong in understanding if the caller is angry or distressed.


Besides, the tradition comes in handy in the bride’s self-choice. Every eligible bachelor contests for winning the bride’s hand by humming his own tune. The one who sings most melodiously wins the favour of the girl and marries her.

This village is populated by a tightly knit cluster of families. And going by their sweet practice, it won’t be wrong to say that love is a song that never ends.