State : Meghalaya, in the north east of India.Time : Generally, in the month of November, every year.
Venue : Smit, the cultural centre of the Khasi Hills in Meghalaya, India is about 11km from Shillong.
Know the Nongkrem dance Festival
The Nongkrem dance festival is celebrated during Autumn at Smit, the cultural centre of the Khasi Hills. A five day long religious festival of the Khasis, Ka Pemblang Nongrem dance is popularly known as Nongkrem dance
Similar to all other festivals of the Meghalaya, Nongkrem Dance Festival is performed to appease the all powerful Goddess Ka Blei Synshar for a rich bumper harvest and prosperity of the people.
The Rituals of Nongkrem Dance Festival
The Syiem of Khyrim along with the high priest performs the Pemblang ceremony. He offers oblation to a Lei Shyllong; the god of Shyllong peak by sacrificing a cock. An important part of this festival is Pemblang (sacrifice of goats). Then offerings are made to the ancestor and ancestress of the ruling clan to the first uncle to the deity of Shillong peak.
The Activities in the Nongkrem Dance Festival
Religious part of the festival precedes dances, in which unmarried girls in all their exotic costumes participate. The men's dancing is naturally more vigorous and energetic. They hold a sword in their right hand and usually a white Yak hair whisk in their left hand, keeping time to the changing beats of drums and playing of the tangmuri or pipes.
