The tribal festivals of Meghalaya

Khasi, the majority tribe of Meghalaya, celebrates their indigenous festivals with traditional music and merry making. Most of their music has sounds of nature like that of a waterfall, bird calls, insect sounds, hum of bees and many more. Niam Khasi, the pre-Christian Khasi religion is monotheistic in nature. There are no fixed places of worship like a church, temple or mosque. According to Niam Khasi, each element of nature has god in it. No particular part can be held holier than the other. Khasi people’s closeness to nature is evident by their belief that man should not desecrate mother nature by their actions. There are no fixed days of worship like Friday in Muslims or Sunday in Christians, rather a Khasi can worship in one’s own house or out in the open because god resides in every element of nature. After the arrival of Christianity through Welsh missionaries, almost 85% of Khasi people have adopted Christianity, but a sizeable minority still practices Niam Khasi.

Similarly, the religions of Garo and Jaintia tribes are also monotheistic in nature and believe in god being omnipresent in every element of nature. Garo religion is specifically ‘animistic’ and believes in supreme god known as ‘Tatara Rabuga’. Garos believe that man continues to exist in the form of spirit after death and dwells in a certain place before reincarnation happens. The traditions, music, and customs followed in the festivals of Meghalaya depict these belief systems. Traditional music in the festivals of Meghalaya is played on Tangmuri, Shaw Shaw, Nakra, Ksing Padiah, and Besli. Here are some of the traditional festivals of the tribes of Meghalaya: