Indigenous festival in WJH concludes

JOWAI: A unique religious festival known as ‘Ka Beh Kymphui’ was organised by the villagers at Mynso village under Mynso Elaka in West Jaintia Hills on Monday.
The festival has not been performed for many years but the villagers have managed to revive it for the last two years.
In Jaintia Hills, the Pnars have their respective religious festivals which are celebrated either by the villagers in their respective villages, by the Raid or by the Elaka.
The ‘Beh Kymphui’ Festival comprises various rituals including the ‘Than Blai’ — a ritual performed at the official resident of the Longdoh – in which special prayers are performed to seek the blessing of God or ‘U Tre-ki-rot’ for all the members of the village including the young and old, women and children.
The ‘Beh Kymphui’ is organised annually with an aim to seek the blessing of the Almighty to help and bless each members of the village to be healthy and prosperous for the whole year in every field of work.
“Besides good health and prosperity, we pray and perform a main ritual called the ‘Ka Knia Khlam’ for keeping away plague or famines, be it storm, hail or any natural calamity from the village”, said the Dolloi of Mynso Elaka, Karmi Myrchiang.
The two-day festival concluded on Monday with the main ritual performed with the sacrifice of a pig. The festival was organised and celebrated by the Sein Raij Mynso. Three main rituals were performed by the priest or U Longdoh. The rituals started from the official residence of the priest to the sacred grove and later to the altar.