14-07-2025
Behdienkhlam fest: 4-day celebration of joy & religious fervour in Jowai
Shillong: The colourful and vibrant festival of Behdienkhlam, celebrated by the Pnar (Jaintia) community, culminated in Jowai on Monday amid joy and religious fervour.
It is the most important indigenous religious 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.
The four-day celebration, which culminated on Monday, saw thousands of followers of the indigenous Niamtre faith converge at Wah Aitnar (a muddy pool), dancing to the tunes of the traditional pipes and drums, while 'Khnong', a wooden post and 'rots', tall-decorated structures of various shapes and sizes, which are the main attractions of the festival, were carried amid chants and cheers.
"During the three-day rites, Dolois (village chieftains) perform a number of religious rites to chase away the evil spirits such as plague, epidemic, etc. Young men, in a symbolic gesture of driving away the evil spirits, beat the roofs of every house with bamboo poles," a resident of Jowai said.
The youth of each locality display their artistic skills by erecting coloured 'rots' — 30 to 40ft tall structures built of bamboo, coloured paper and tinsel.
by Taboola
by Taboola
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Competition flares as each group tries to outdo the other in making the tallest and most artistic 'rot', which displays relevant social issues.
The climax of the celebrations is the tussle, as seen in a tug of war, for the 'Khnong' by two groups of people opposed to each other.
The trunk along with the colourful 'rots' is then immersed in the muddy waters of the Aitnar pool.
Meghalaya governor CH Vijayashankar and chief minister Conrad K Sangma greeted the people of the state, particularly the Jaintia Community, on the occasion of Behdienkhlam.
