From Our Correspondent
RESUBELPARA, Jan 2: All roads in Garo Hills on Thursday led to the village of Bangsi Apal where at least 40,000 people made it an event to remember for ages to come.
The event saw continuous participation through the day and continued until the evening where people continued to dance through their wits to mark an end to the holiday season.
The event held today was its 14th edition with the managers of the programme stating that they wanted to revive the tradition of ‘Song Krittan’ for ages to come.
The programme had such footfall that stores sold out within hours with many scurrying for extra stock within even those selling within a few more hours. Parking bays in almost all sections were completely full.
The event is organised on January 2 every year by the 2nd Jan Song Kristan Committee who oversee the management of the event which is open and allows anyone to join in the revelry. The participants used drums, cymbals and flutes to play traditional songs. In order to keep with tradition, the organisers have removed any form of competition, allowing anyone who wants to join in to be part of the crowd of dancers and singers.
The volume of the event was so loud that the sound of drums and cymbals could be heard nearly a kilometre away in the nearby village of Dainadubi. The celebrations began at 11 am and continued non-stop until 5 pm.
Song Krittan or Kristan is a tradition in which homage is paid to the Lord through community dance and song. It follows the tradition of ‘Kirtan’ practised by other communities. Early Garos, most of whom were Songareks, adopted the tradition and added their own flavour to it, resulting in what is now known as Song Kristan in local circles.
Song Krittan is a tradition in which groups sing and dance, using various instruments to praise the Almighty. Although this tradition began with the Songsareks, it has continued even after most Garos converted to Christianity. However, in recent years, fewer and fewer people have been participating in ‘Song Kristan’ annually, causing the tradition to slowly fade.
“We organise the event every year on January 2 to keep the tradition of Song Krittan alive. This is one tradition that needs to be continued by our future generations,” felt president Jaffrey Momin.
Earlier Song Kristan groups were present in every village with both old and young being part of the groups. However, of late, the situation has changed with elders hardly being part of the groups that undertake Song Kristan.
“Earlier, we began Song Kristan from as far back as December 3. This was immediately after the examinations ended in most schools. These would continue till January 1 of the New Year. Today’s programme will herald the end of the holiday season for us as we once again ready ourselves for another year of work,” added a resident of nearby Nishangram.
The huge participation in the celebration was welcomed by the organisers who hoped that the numbers would swell in the years to come.
Residents of the state including all the districts of Garo Hills as well as parts of Khasi Hills were part of the gathering. Nearby residents of Assam, too, ensured the programme got the reception it deserves.
“Our aim is to help revive old traditions among us in an authentic manner. We have been promoting the same through this programme which we help to manage, not organise as this is tradition. The crowd this year indicates to us that our efforts are bearing fruit as we have not seen so many people here like this year. We hope to continue this trend going forward,” felt president, Jaffrey Momin.
Despite the success of the event, the organisers expressed disappointment about the lack of support from the state or district administration for the continuation of the event.
Gilsang D Shira, the secretary of the managing committee for the event said, “We have stopped seeking help from the state or administration for more than a decade because they have never come forward despite our pleas. The event has attracted tourists from all across Assam and parts of Garo Hills, but there is no promotion for our celebration. It would have been great if we received some support to help us organise the programme.”