Monolith festival: Relive the past
The practice of the past comes alive, once again through the Monolith Festival held at Mawphlang from March 7-9, 2024.
An attempt to recreate the past through songs, dances was made which kept the crowd busy and perhaps ruminate on the lives our forefathers had.
People interested in knowing the practices of the forefathers were all ears when a person explained to them the meaning and reason behind a door, a stone, a wood, cutlery and other items.
Huts of different Himas were set up, Hima Mylliem, Hima Sohra, Hima Jirang, Hima Bhowal, Hima Nonglang, Hima Mawkyrwat to name a few. On entering the Hima Nongstoin hut, the word “Maw Poon Chem” caught the attention. On asking the significance of the stone, an elderly person from Hima Nongstoin got up to explain eagerly.
“Before you enter a home, you are to step on the ‘Maw Poon Chem’, whatever is being showcased here is still being practiced,” an elderly person said.
It is customary for an outsider to enter from one door and leave from the other door. “You cannot go out from the same door.”
Put on display were the millets and other indigenous food items.
A traditional grinder, a kettle was all in place, and a fire in the middle kept the place warm though it was bright and sunny on the first day though the temperatures may dipped in the evening.
A peculiar sight in the front yard of Hima Sohbar is “Mawshyngoid”, welcoming the guests, a person from Hima Sohbar said, “Individuals can wash their hands and feet by taking the water from here.”
Hima Nongkhlaw prepared a small write-up on the Hima mentioning the Khasi freedom fighter Paiem Tirot Sing Syiem.
The Monolith festival was what the KHADC thought would be to showcase cultural heritage. But there was something amiss.
Perhaps getting more traditional handicrafts, weavers, indigenous food that filled the palette of the forefathers (and not the KFC or the hybrid food we get nowadays) would have been better. Something that depicts the earlier life of the forefathers.
Iew Bah Hima was a disappointment. A huge place was allotted, food from the different Himas was expected to be showcased. Though there were traditional foods which are common in a Khasi home while the rest were modern food items.
More can be done to depict the lives, the struggles, the practices, and the means of enjoyment of our forefathers.
The fire lit in the hearth of every hut will keep burning in hearts of eager individuals passionate to keep the tradition of the forefathers alive.
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