By Hammarsing L. Kharhmar
The annual thanksgiving dance organised by the Seng Khasi Kmie (Shillong) in the first half of April, at the historic Weiking ground, is a grand and awe-inspiring event. At the dance arena viewers are treated to a mesmerizing scene in which hundreds of male and female dancers dressed in some of the most unique, elegant and vibrant attire move gracefully and energetically to music that occupies two contrasting realms at the same time: the primordial and the futuristic. In fact, the entire dance feels like it exists in many worlds simultaneously: the past, the present and the future. It is truly timeless.
The dance was first held at its current venue in 1911, but the roots of the dance go deep into pre-history, when the world was young, and all its inhabitants lived closely with nature. All traditional dances, especially in our country, are deeply rooted in an agrarian past, when survival often depended on a good harvest and daily life was centered around agriculture and cultivation. These dances have expressed gratitude to Mother Earth and paid obeisance to t the Creator since time immemorial and continue to do so, till today. They help preserve and transfer knowledge from generation to generation. They also, very importantly, bring people together and are vital catalysts in the development of culture and in the advancement of civilisations. The survival and continuity of these dances over hundreds and thousands of years have organically transformed these festivals into distinct celebrations of Identity and Essence.
The most popular translations of “Shad Suk Mynsiem” are “Dance of Peaceful Hearts”, “Dance of Joyous Souls” and “Dance with a Peaceful Heart. To this list, I would also like to add: “Dance with Peace Within”. We live in a world in rapid transition. We are growing more and more connected, but at the same time we are also moving farther and farther away from each. In this churn, driven by aspiration, fortunately there is also greater introspection which is leading people around the world to search within and without. We are all slowly awakening to the priceless value of Indigenous systems and wisdom, which not too long ago were considered primitive and irrelevant, but which are now being revered as some of the most important treasures of Humankind. The pivotal moment being the deep meanings and relevance being shared by the Indigenous themselves.
At the Shad Suk Mynsiem, the dancers celebrate their culture and their religion with pride and responsibility. The cultural and the spiritual flow seamlessly as ‘One’. The dance is now held in hundreds of villages and towns across the Khasi Hills, organised by different branches of the Seng Khasi. In addition to the Shad Suk Mynsiem there are many more traditional dances. The music, attire and even the sequence of events and ways of dancing vary from village to village and region to region but they all share the same foundation. This diversity in such a small area and population is extremely rare to find and must always be protected.
One of the greatest contributions of the Seng Khasi, in the first quarter of its existence, was bringing the dance to Shillong and holding it in all its grandeur, at a time when the British were at the peak of their powers across the world and our city was the administrative capital of their expansive Assam province. The decision to hold the dance by the Sixteen founders of the Seng Khasi and their mentors is one of the greatest examples of powerful vision and valiance. In 1916 at a foundation day celebration of the organisation (Seng Kut Snem), Rangbah Rash Mohon Roy Nongrum, the first Chairman (President) of Seng Khasi spoke these lines at the end of his speech which he had titled “Ka Jingieid” (Love): “To long kiba ieid ïalade ba phin nang ban ïeid ïa kiwei, ba phin ieid ïa U Blei ïa la ka Niam bad la ka Hok”. This translates as: ‘Do love yourselves so you may learn to love others, to love God, your Religion and your Truth’. These simple but powerful lines continue to resonate and will forever inspire. At every Shad Suk Mynsiem you can feel this Truth, he spoke about. The dancers and musicians celebrate and honour their culture and their religion.
The three most striking elements observed immediately at the dance are:
(1). The sublime attire, intricate jewelry and ceremonial accessories worn by the dancers.
(2). The subtle and solemn movements of the female dancers, circled by male dancers who adjust their steps and shuffles to the rhythms and their changes.
(3) The otherworldly music, which feels familiar (given that similar instruments exist around the Indian Subcontinent and beyond) but is unmistakably Khasi.
All three elements often overwhelm the onlooker, scattering the viewer’s attention but if you focus gently, first into the music and then into the movements you will start to notice a synchronicity where the entire arena becomes One. The white whisks seem to answer the beats and melodies and the jangle of the dancer’s jewelry adds to the sound scape. The arena begins to look like a surreal moving canvas of soft clouds floating above a sea of colours.
There are Seven rhythms — Hynñiew Skit — that are played during the festival, beginning with the Ksing Lumpaid at the Ïing Seng (Headquarters) which is played to gather people together, usually before a program is set to begin. The next rhythm played as the congregation proceeds towards the dance arena, is the Ksing Lynti which is the most recognizable Khasi beat. On reaching the venue, before entering the dance ground, each person bows to touch the Earth and offer a prayer to the Eternal Mother, Mei Ramew. A short ceremony is then conducted by an elder of the Khasi faith, Niam Khasi. Immediately after follows the first round of the sword dance, Shad Mastieh, which I firmly believe deserves to be included in the list of Indian Classical dances.
The drums stop for a short period and then the dance truly begins when the sound of the Ksing Kynthei and Padiah fill the venue and the female dancers enter the ground to begin their dance at the center. Four distinct rhythms — Padiah, Nalai, Klang, Dum Dum — with ethereal accompanying melodies played on the ‘Queen of Instruments’ — Ka Tangmuri — are looped till evening starts to set in and the Sun casts a soft golden glow over the dancers. The music stops momentarily and then resumes with the sword dances. First the Shad Pyllun and in the final segment, the visceral and exquisite Shad Mastieh is performed again, but this time the arena is packed. The atmosphere is thrilling. The dancers move with passion and dedication. It is a matter of great pride to be in the ground at that moment. The Duhaliyas (traditional musicians) play their instruments with even more gusto, feeding off the dancers energy and vice versa. Then, in the very final sequence of the dance at the ground, two rows of dancers charge towards each other with swords twirling, as if to go into battle rushing faster as they draw nearer, but then just as they are about to clash, they stop and gently raise their whisks and swords together like folded hands and bow before one another three times, chanting “Hoi Kiw.” It is a deeply spiritual moment. Everyone and everything comes together at this moment.
Shad: Dance, Suk: Peace, Mynsiem: Soul I always find the same questions floating into my mind at every dance I go to: “When was this music first composed and by whom? “When and how were these movements first imagined and performed?” I know we will never find the answers and we don’t need to. What we do know is that these unique expressions of gratitude and reverence to the Divinity and Nature around us and within us, continue to bring ‘Peace to the Heart and Soul.’
Khublei Shad Suk Mynsiem Basuk Bakmen ïa phi baroh! (A very happy and joyous SHAD SUK MYNSIEM to you all).