SHILLONG, Nov 12: Curtains came down on the five-day Shad Nongkrem festival in Smit, the annual harvest festival. Held at the Ing Sad, the royal palace of the Syiem of Hima Khyrim, the festival brought together hundreds of men, women, and children clad in traditional attires to celebrate and renew their bonds with the earth, the harvest, and the divine.
Shad Nongkrem is a sacred ritual that expresses gratitude for the bounty of the land. At its core lies the ‘Ka Pomblang Nongkrem’, a thanksgiving ceremony where the Khasi people offer the ‘Pomblang’ (sacrificial goat) to ‘Ka Blei Synshar’ (the goddess of prosperity and governance), seeking blessings for a rich harvest and a prosperous year. This ritual is intertwined with prayers for the well-being and flourishing of the community, strengthening their connection to ancestral values and faith.
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.
The festival drew not only locals but also dignitaries from across the state. This year, Governor CH Vijayashankar attended the festival, as the chief guest, and so was the Chief Justice of Meghalaya, IP Mukherjea, Social Welfare Minister Paul Lyngdoh and Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar, KHADC Chief Executive Member (CEM) Pyiniad Sing Syiem, along with other officials, were also present.
