GLIMPSE OF BEHDEINKHLAM CELEBRATION AT JOWAI IN 2020

This video portrayed the ritual and ceremony performed during the four days and three night of Behdeinkhlam Festival at Jowai in the year 2020. During this year ,the dance of Behdeinkhlam festival as shown in my previous videos were not performed due to restriction of pandemics. Every effort has been made to include all the element of the festival but that will be too long for a single videos. I will try in my next videos'. BEHDIENKHLAM It is the most important festival of the Jaintias and is celebrated mid-July every year after the sowing is over. "Khlam" means plague or pestilence' and "beh dein" means to drive away with sticks. Organized annually by the Seinraij Jowai, this unique festival is held after the sowing season is over so as to overcome any destructive forces of nature including diseases by invoking the God for a good harvest. Besides being the most colourful religious festival, it is also the most important and unique dance festival of the Jaintias. The ceremony and ritual was carried out for four days and on the last day, in the afternoon people gathered in a place called Aitnar and both young and old danced to the tunes of the pipes and drums. “Aitnar” – a sacred pool. The Behdienkhlam literally means driving away the plague as “Khlam” means ‘Plague’ and “Beh Dein” means to drive away the plague. The unique and ancient festival of Behdienkhlam, celebrated by Jaintia or Pnar tribal community of Meghalaya, is the ritualistic expression of the relentless struggle of mankind to overcome the destructive forces of nature, including diseases, since the dawn of civilization. This festival is also an invocation to God seeking blessings for a good harvest. Women offer sacrificial food to the spirits of the ancestors Courtesy for Music : Seinraij Jowai vitsit https:\\www.facebook.com/leeno_photography for more photos of Behdienkhlam. Disclaimer :: All attempt has been made to make this videos correctly, however mistakes may crop up here and there and for that I ask your pardon. My graritude to all who helped directly and indirectly _ Happy Beinkhlam to All ‪@leenoshilla2477‬