From Our Correspondent
JOWAI: Behdeinkhlam – the annual religious festival celebrated by the Pnar – one of the major tribes in Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya – is all set to be celebrated at Tuberkmai Shnong – the biggest among Sein Raij – a religious organisation which holds the colourful festival annually.
This year the Sein Raij Jowai (SRJ) and the Sein Raij Tuber (SRT) will celebrate the festival on the same date from July 7 to July 10.
SRT general secretary Ribun Sana has informed that elders and members of the Niamtre – a traditional faith of the Pnar in various villagers under Sein Raij Tuber is preparing to welcome the annual festival spiritually.
With a view to improve the Aitnar – a sacred muddy pool where the last day of the festival is perfomed, the Union Minister for Water Resources through MPLADS has released an amount of Rs 25 lakh.
“The entire amount received would be spent in re-development and beautification of the Aitnar,” Sana informed.
Behdeinkhlam is a four-day festival celebrated to drive away plague. In local dialect (Pnar), Beh means drive, Dein means stick and Khlam means plague. It is a religious festival to drive away plague with sticks. Plague refers to various kinds of diseases, bad fortunes, famine, natural disasters and evil spirits that attacks and destroys life and property.
Various kinds of rituals will be performed by elders of the traditional faith – the Niamtre. Rituals will be performed by the U Langdoh or the Priest, the Maji, Sangot and U Chutia.
Beating of the roofs of the house with sticks or a young tree with an approximate length in a gesture to drive away the evil spirits is one of the features of the festival. A group of young men called Wasan would visit every house and perform the symbolic gesture of beating the roof.
Another feature of the festival is the carrying of colourful rath or Rot – a tower-like structure made of paper and adorned with various designs – which will be brought to and displayed at the Aitnar on the concluding day by villagers from their respective villages and localities.
Faithful carrying the rot on their way to the Aitnar will dance with the beat of traditional drums and other traditional musical instruments.
Each colourful rot brought from the various localities usually has a depiction of various social issues.
Finally all the rot will be immersed at the Aitnar before the last ritual is performed to mark the end of the festival.