Shillong, Nov 12: Curtains came down on the five-day Shad Nongkrem annual festival. Held at Ing Sad Smit, palace of the Syiem of Hima Khyrim, the festival brought together hundreds of men, women, and children dressed in traditional attire to celebrate the age-old customs.
The Shad Nongkrem, is a thanksgiving ritual to seek divine blessings for a bountiful harvest and the prosperity of the people. Central to the festival is the ‘Pomblang’ ceremony, where goats are sacrificed to appease the deity, followed by dances by men and girls.
This year, 190 young girls participated in the traditional ‘Ka Shad Hinieh’ dance, and 152 men joined in the ‘Ka Shad Mastieh,’ a warrior dance.
U Syiem of Hima Khyrim, Dr Balajied Sing Syiem, the traditional chief, presided over the ceremonies. The event saw also saw the attendance of Governor CH Vijayashankar, Social Welfare Minister Paul Lyngdoh, Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar among several others.