Behdienkhlam is a festival celebrated primarily by the Pnar people of Meghalaya, India. The festival is celebrated annually in July and is an important dance festival of the Jaintia people. The festival is an invocation to God for wading of evil spirits and diseases and blessing for a good harvest.
Behdienkhlam is derived from two Pnar language words: "behdein" meaning "to drive away" and "khlam" meaning "disease". The festival was intended to celebrate "chasing away the demon of cholera" in response to the eradication of Cholera disease.[1]
Historyedit
The festival is celebrated by the Pnar people of Meghalaya. It is the largest festival of the practitioners of the Niam Tre religion and is dedicated to a good harvest and a year of plenty. The biggest Behdienkhlam festivities are conducted in Jowai, West Jaintia hills district and in Tuber Kmai, Jaintia hills.[2] The festival is celebrated annually in July after the sowing season and is an important dance festival. The festival is meant to serve as an invocation to God for wading of bad spirits and diseases and to seek blessings for a good harvest.[3] People pray to the deities of U Mukhai, Mulong, Mooralong and Musniang.[4][5]
Practicesedit
During this festival, men make a symbolic gesture of driving away the evil spirits and diseases by beating the roofs of house with bamboo poles.[2] The leading religious figures of the community known as "Daloi" perform religious rites with offerings to ancestors and clans. A ritual known as "Cher iung blai" is conducted where in the male tribal members enter a newly built thatched hut of grass and bamboo with spears and kill the demons inside it symbolically.[5][4]
A game similar to football called Dad-lawakor is played with a wooden ball.[3] Another traditional game played is the Iatan-Bhang, a tussle between two opposing groups of people over a large, stripped wooden log over Wah-eit-nar, a muddy trench with the participants smearing mud on one another.[3][2] The polished logs of wood and bamboo buildings are taken through the neighborhoods and plunged into Aitnar, a central pool of mud on the last day of the festival.[5] People dress up and dance to drums around the Aitnar. Women do not participate in the dancing and offer sacrificial food to the spirits of their forefathers.[3]
Referencesedit
^"Behdienkhlam festival, driving off cholera". Enroute. 27 June 2002. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
^ abc"Behdienkhlam festival". Meghalaya tourism. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
^ ab"Behdienkhlam 2022: Date, history, significance and all you need to know about Meghalaya's harvest festival". Hindustan Times. 13 July 2022. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
^ abc"All About The Behdienkhlam Festival Of Meghalaya". Outlook traveller. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
April 14, 2024
behdienkhlam, festival, celebrated, primarily, pnar, people, meghalaya, india, festival, celebrated, annually, july, important, dance, festival, jaintia, people, festival, invocation, wading, evil, spirits, diseases, blessing, good, harvest, observed, bypnar, . Behdienkhlam is a festival celebrated primarily by the Pnar people of Meghalaya India The festival is celebrated annually in July and is an important dance festival of the Jaintia people The festival is an invocation to God for wading of evil spirits and diseases and blessing for a good harvest BehdienkhlamObserved byPnar people of MeghalayaSignificanceHarvest festival Invocation to GodsCelebrationsdecorations dance prayers offerings games2023 dateSunday 9 July2024 dateMonday 8 July Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 3 Practices 4 ReferencesEtymology editBehdienkhlam is derived from two Pnar language words behdein meaning to drive away and khlam meaning disease The festival was intended to celebrate chasing away the demon of cholera in response to the eradication of Cholera disease 1 History editThe festival is celebrated by the Pnar people of Meghalaya It is the largest festival of the practitioners of the Niam Tre religion and is dedicated to a good harvest and a year of plenty The biggest Behdienkhlam festivities are conducted in Jowai West Jaintia hills district and in Tuber Kmai Jaintia hills 2 The festival is celebrated annually in July after the sowing season and is an important dance festival The festival is meant to serve as an invocation to God for wading of bad spirits and diseases and to seek blessings for a good harvest 3 People pray to the deities of U Mukhai Mulong Mooralong and Musniang 4 5 Practices editDuring this festival men make a symbolic gesture of driving away the evil spirits and diseases by beating the roofs of house with bamboo poles 2 The leading religious figures of the community known as Daloi perform religious rites with offerings to ancestors and clans A ritual known as Cher iung blai is conducted where in the male tribal members enter a newly built thatched hut of grass and bamboo with spears and kill the demons inside it symbolically 5 4 A game similar to football called Dad lawakor is played with a wooden ball 3 Another traditional game played is the Iatan Bhang a tussle between two opposing groups of people over a large stripped wooden log over Wah eit nar a muddy trench with the participants smearing mud on one another 3 2 The polished logs of wood and bamboo buildings are taken through the neighborhoods and plunged into Aitnar a central pool of mud on the last day of the festival 5 People dress up and dance to drums around the Aitnar Women do not participate in the dancing and offer sacrificial food to the spirits of their forefathers 3 References edit Behdienkhlam festival driving off cholera Enroute 27 June 2002 Retrieved 1 November 2023 a b c Behdienkhlam festival Meghalaya tourism Retrieved 1 November 2023 a b c d Behdienkhlam Government of Meghalaya Retrieved 1 November 2023 a b Behdienkhlam 2022 Date history significance and all you need to know about Meghalaya s harvest festival Hindustan Times 13 July 2022 Retrieved 1 November 2023 a b c All About The Behdienkhlam Festival Of Meghalaya Outlook traveller Retrieved 1 November 2023 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Behdienkhlam amp oldid 1187080273, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
