By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, April 8: ‘Ka Shad Shuk Mynsiem’, a precursor event to the main dance festival of the Khasi community, known as Shad Shuk Mynsiem, on Sunday set the stage for the main event scheduled for April 15 at the Madan Weiking ground
The event was organised by Seng Khasi Mawlai.
The Seng Khasi Mawlai, which began this tradition in 1994, prior to the main festival, celebrated its 30 years of completion this year, in a bid to preserve and protect the indigenous rituals of the Khasi religion.
This was informed by the president of Seng Khasi Mawlai, Dipshon Lyngdoh Nongbri.
He additionally said, “We were surprised to see a huge number of people turning up to see the dance, majority of which were tourists. I will be not wrong to say that we were overwhelmed, and since this was an initiative from our locality and not the main festival.”
The event featured 531 dancers, with 270 males and 251 females, notably drawing a significant portion of participation from the local community.
This dance is held during the month of April. Spring is symbolic as a season of rebirth, as is the case in many societies. It signifies the beginning of new cycles during which new seedlings are planted.
Shad Suk Mynsiem is an agrarian festival and celebrates the optimism for the coming year.
This dance serves as a tribute to the divine, expressing gratitude for blessings and abundant harvests through symbolic rituals, traditional dances, and attire.
Before the commencement of the dance, Chairman of Ki Tymmen Kisan Rangbah Skorjala led rituals and prayers, followed by the hoisting of the traditional flag by Donbor Roy Thangkhiew in the presence of the president of Seng Khih Lang, Rueben Kurbah.