Seinraij Tuber to host grand Behdeinkhlam Festival from July 16-19

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJuly 13, 2024

The Behdeinkhlam festival, the largest in the Jaintia Hills region, organized annually by the Seinraij Tuber, will be held from July 16-19 in Tuber Kmaishnong. The festival aims to eliminate religious differences and promote unity among the Hynniew Trep Hynniew Skum community.

Helping Phawa, President of Seinraij Tuber, stated that the four-day festival will involve prayers to the creator to drive away diseases and bring health and prosperity to the community. He invited everyone to witness the festival, mentioning that Paul Lyngdoh, Minister of Arts and Culture and Tourism, will be the chief guest on the culmination day, and Local MLA and Minister Kyrmen Shylla will be the guest of honour, along with other leaders and government officials.

Behdeinkhlam is a traditional festival of the Pnar tribe in the Jaintia Hills, celebrated after the sowing of crops. It involves joyous dancing, rituals, and music. In Raij Tuber, the Longdoh (chief priest) leads the ceremonies with the participation of various community elders and priests.

During the festival, a colourful display of 64 raths (paper monument) from 30 villages in East Jaintia Hills and 19 villages in West Jaintia Hills will be witness at Biar Blai, a sacred pool. It begins on Pynsin day (July 16) with a procession from the lower to the upper part of the village, symbolizing unity. The following day, Mulong (July 17), features a reverse procession, with rituals performed at the sacred pool.

On Musiang day (July 18), early morning rituals are performed by the Longdoh and community priests, followed by the Rah Bhang Blai and Chooh Thyndai ceremonies. The final day, Muchai (July 19), starts with the Niam Kñia beh khlam ritual at dawn, and later, the Longdoh and priests distribute ‘klong Pyrnah’ to the participating groups.

Before the immersion of all raths, there will be the Yabooh and Yatan Bhang Blai ceremonies, involving a symbolic tug-of-war with a sacred tree and ‘Iaslait,’ similar to wrestling. In ‘Ka Yatan Bhang Blai,’ a group representing Phang Nein from the North competes against Phangwah from the South. It is believed that if Phang Nein wins the game, the northern part of Raij Tuber will be more fertile.