Ka Pomblang Nongkrem
Also called Shad Nongkrem, this colourful 5-day long event is the most important
and elaborates festival of the Khasi tribe. Held annually in November at Smit
near Shillong, Meghalaya, it gives thanks to the Goddess Ka Blei Synshar for
a rich harvest.
An important part of this festival is the Pomblang Ceremony, at which goats
are sacrificed and offerings are made to the ancestor and ancestress of the
ruling clan and U-Lei Shillong (the deity of Shillong peak). Sanctification
of the tangmuri (pipes) as queen of musical instruments, forms part of the
ritual. After the religious rituals, on the fourth day, Khasi men and women,
dressed in traditional splendour, perform the famous Nongkrem dance, with
young women dancing within a protective ring formed by young lads. The festival
ends on the fifth day with a prayer for prosperity.
