By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The city was in a festive mood on Monday with two major festivals, the Shad Suk Mynsiem and Rongali Bihu being celebrated in Shillong.
The three-day Shad Suk Mynsiem festival concluded at the Lympung Weiking, Jaiaw.
This dance festival of the Khasis has been held at Weiking ground since 1911.
“Shad Suk Mynsiem is a thanksgiving dance of the Khasis to God to seek blessings for the coming year,” said Sumarlang Sawian a journalist and member associated with the Seng Khasi.
Men and women, dressed in traditional fineries, danced to the beats of drums and pipes called tangmuri.
The religious festival, known as dance of the joyful heart, is performed to celebrate harvesting, sowing and also to pay obeisance to God.
Tourists from various parts of the country came all the way to Shillong to experience the beauty of tribal culture and tribal dance on the occasion.
On the other hand, the Assamese community in Shillong celebrated the Rongali Bihu.
With a tinge of nostalgia and happiness galore in their minds, the Assamese people celebrated the spirit of Rongali Bihu.
However, Shillong not being conducive to bovine veneration of such kind, the Assamese in the city do the next best thing -they dance, make merry, treat themselves to a lavish feast shared with friends and family, which includes delicious Bihu sweets.