JOWAI: The Sein Raij Tuber is celebrating the biggest Behdeinkhlam festival in Jaintia Hills with strict observance of protocol amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
While preparing for the last day of the largest Behdeinkhlam festival on Friday at the sacred pool — the ‘Biar’ at Tuber Kmaishnong — members of the Sein Raij are performing various rituals and prayers at their respective villages following social distancing, wearing masks and other protocols.
Behdeinkhlam, a religious festival which is organised to drive away plague, is celebrated annually since time immemorial.
The Pnars believe that coronavirus is also a plague. ‘Beh’ means drive, ‘Dein’ means stick and ‘Khlam’ means plague; Behdeinkhlam means to drive away plague with sticks.
On Thursday, the main rituals performed were Shoh Thyndai —beating the roof of households while praying to God to chase away COVID-19 and for a good harvest, good health and prosperity — and the fetching of the ‘Dein Bhang’, the sacred log.
This year, the celebration is unusual due to the pandemic. Normally thousands of people throng to the sacred pool at Tuber Kmaishnong to witness the festival on the last day. However, this time only elders of the Sein Raij, including the Lyngdoh (priest), who is the head of the religion and his assistant, including the Sangot, Majis, Shutia and Wasans, besides the presidents and secretaries of the Sein Raij units from more than 27 villages in East and West Jaintia Hills, are allowed to be present in the sacred pool as they are to perform the rituals. In the past, the festival has attracted spectators from across the state and also from other states, besides foreigner tourists to witness this most-colorful and the biggest festival of the hills.