Meghalaya

By-Arham
X-D
 Festivals

Index Music
Dance
History
Its people
Best time to visit
Places to visit
Language

Shad Suk Mynsiem
This festival is celebrated in
April, every year. This is an
extraordinary celebration of
moves and is also known as
‘Move of cheerful hearts’.
Festivals
Nongkrem Festival
It is celebrated every year in
Smit, with pomp and gaiety. It
is a thanksgiving festival
that is celebrated for about
5 days in the month of October
or November, every year.
Behdeinkhlam Festival
Behdeinkhlam is a four-day
festival and is celebrated by
the Jaintia Clan. The
Bhdeinkhlam means ‘Chasing
away the Plague’ and is
believed to ward off evils.
 Music
The folk songs sung by the Garo tribe
are dedicated to festivals, marriages,
love and bravery accompanied by drums
and flutes. The songs sung by the Khasis
and Jaintias are generally in the praise
of Mother nature. They sing songs in the
praise of hills, lakes, waterfalls and
rivers expressing appreciation for their
land. Musical instruments used by them
are drums, duitara and instruments
similar to guitar, flutes, pipes and
cymbals.
 Dances

Nongkrem Dance: Shad Suk Mynsiem: Bahdienkhlam: Lahoo Dance: DorsegataDance:

it is basically a this is again a the advent of this dance form is It is an interesting
religious festival thanksgiving festival monsoon in July high on dance form wherein
wherein the heavenly showing the sense of entertainment. Men the women try to
brings the
deities are thanked gratitude of the and women holding knock off the
celebration of
for good harvest, people of Khasi Hills. arms together turbans of their
Behhdienkhlam.
harmony and perform this dance. male partners.

prosperity.
History
Dawn of the Modern Era :The Khasi and Pnar communities (who are regarded
as distinct groups under the same tribal umbrella) were adept in trade
and commerce and their influence was spread from the hills into the plains
of Sylhet (present-day Bangladesh). Limestone and iron were some of the
major exports from the region – as recorded in some 18th-century records.
In the early 19th century (1824), the British were firmly entrenched in most
of the sub-continent. To deal with a conflict with the Burmese empire they
developed diplomatic relationships with the Khasi-Pnar tribes to create
corridors for easier access to the Assam plains.
A Tale of Ancient Migrations : The region that today constitutes Meghalaya
can be termed as a microcosm of diversity – a place that has witnessed
many layers of migration. The Pnars, Khasis, and the Garos are communities
of Paleo-Mongoloid descent and are believed to be one of the earliest
settlers in the present-day North-East India
The Formation of Meghalaya State

For a major part of British Rule, the tribal areas of the North-East were
part of the larger East Bengal and Assam administrative divisions. Post-
independence, it was not until 1972 that Meghalaya gained statehood after
a firm but largely peaceful agitation, the Hill State Movement. A major
reason for the struggle was the imposition of Assamese as an official
language on the tribal areas (1960), something which the fiercely
autonomous indigenous communities were against as it eroded their
linguistic and cultural distinctiveness. Captain Williamson A Sangma, who
was one of the leaders of the Hill State Movement, was the first chief
minister of Meghalaya.
People of
meghalaya
The main tribes in Meghalaya are the Khasis, the
Garos, and the Jaintias. Each tribe has its own culture,
traditions, dress, and language.The majority of the
population and the major tribal groups in Meghalaya
follow a matrilineal system where lineage and
inheritance are traced through women. The youngest
daughter inherits all the property and she is the
caretaker of aged parents and any unmarried
siblings.Meghalaya's civil society considers the
people of the state as a collective community that
exists through civil society organisations (CSOs), and
serves the general interests of the public.[69] These
organisations include a wide spectrum of non-
government organisations (NGOs), other community
associations, and foundations. The current status of
Meghalaya's civil society and the effectiveness of the
many programs is debated by scholars.
Time to visit
you can visit Meghalaya in any
season throughout the year, the
best time is from October to
March. Summer Season (April–
June) The easily warm climate
allows you to fulfill your
interest as you adventure
outside and investigate the area.
This makes the late spring
season the best time to visit
Meghalaya.
 Nohkalikai falls Lady hydari park
Mawsmai cave Don bosco shrine
Places to visit

Umiam lake Syntu ksiar Wah kaba falls

Languages
English is the official language of the
state.The most spoken languages in
Meghalaya are Khasi (33.82%) and
Garo (31.60%) followed by Pnar
(10.69%), Bengali (6.44%), Nepali
(1.85%), War (1.73%), Hindi (1.62%),
Hajong (1.40%) and Assamese (1.34%).
Thank You!