Behdienkhlam Festival Of Meghalaya In India

01/08

Caption

People from Jaintia Tribe of Meghalaya taking part at the traditional dance rituals on the final day of Behdienkhlam Festival in Jowai district Township, 65 kms form Shillong (the capital city of Meghalaya) on Friday, July 10, 2009. Behdienkhlam Festival is the most celebrated religious festival among the Pnars. Behdienkhlam (chasing away the Demon of Cholera) is celebrated annually in July after the sowing period, the most important dance festival of the Jaintia tribes. This festival is also an invocation to God, seeking his blessings for a bumper harvest. The women however do not participate in the dancing, as they have an important function of offering sacrificial food to the spirits of the forefathers. The festival held at Jowai is one of the most well known and recreational festival in Meghalaya. The ceremony and ritual is carried out three days and on the last day, in the afternoon people would gather in a place called Aitnar and both young and old would dance to the tunes of the pipes and drums. The dancers are highly emotional when tall-decorated structures called "Raths" and a wooden post-called "Khnongs" would be brought into the pool. It is desirable that there should be rain on the day of the festival. Photo Caption: SUBHAMOY BHATTACHARJEE

Behdienkhlam Festival Of Meghalaya In India104473

02/08

Caption

People from Jaintia Tribe of Meghalaya taking part at the traditional dance rituals on the final day of Behdienkhlam Festival in Jowai district Township, 65 kms form Shillong (the capital city of Meghalaya) on Friday, July 10, 2009. Behdienkhlam Festival is the most celebrated religious festival among the Pnars. Behdienkhlam (chasing away the Demon of Cholera) is celebrated annually in July after the sowing period, the most important dance festival of the Jaintia tribes. This festival is also an invocation to God, seeking his blessings for a bumper harvest. The women however do not participate in the dancing, as they have an important function of offering sacrificial food to the spirits of the forefathers. The festival held at Jowai is one of the most well known and recreational festival in Meghalaya. The ceremony and ritual is carried out three days and on the last day, in the afternoon people would gather in a place called Aitnar and both young and old would dance to the tunes of the pipes and drums. The dancers are highly emotional when tall-decorated structures called "Raths" and a wooden post-called "Khnongs" would be brought into the pool. It is desirable that there should be rain on the day of the festival. Photo Caption: SUBHAMOY BHATTACHARJEE

Behdienkhlam Festival Of Meghalaya In India104475

03/08

Caption

People from Jaintia Tribe of Meghalaya taking part at the traditional dance rituals on the final day of Behdienkhlam Festival in Jowai district Township, 65 kms form Shillong (the capital city of Meghalaya) on Friday, July 10, 2009. Behdienkhlam Festival is the most celebrated religious festival among the Pnars. Behdienkhlam (chasing away the Demon of Cholera) is celebrated annually in July after the sowing period, the most important dance festival of the Jaintia tribes. This festival is also an invocation to God, seeking his blessings for a bumper harvest. The women however do not participate in the dancing, as they have an important function of offering sacrificial food to the spirits of the forefathers. The festival held at Jowai is one of the most well known and recreational festival in Meghalaya. The ceremony and ritual is carried out three days and on the last day, in the afternoon people would gather in a place called Aitnar and both young and old would dance to the tunes of the pipes and drums. The dancers are highly emotional when tall-decorated structures called "Raths" and a wooden post-called "Khnongs" would be brought into the pool. It is desirable that there should be rain on the day of the festival. Photo Caption: SUBHAMOY BHATTACHARJEE

Behdienkhlam Festival Of Meghalaya In India104477

04/08

Caption

People from Jaintia Tribe of Meghalaya taking part at the traditional dance rituals on the final day of Behdienkhlam Festival in Jowai district Township, 65 kms form Shillong (the capital city of Meghalaya) on Friday, July 10, 2009. Behdienkhlam Festival is the most celebrated religious festival among the Pnars. Behdienkhlam (chasing away the Demon of Cholera) is celebrated annually in July after the sowing period, the most important dance festival of the Jaintia tribes. This festival is also an invocation to God, seeking his blessings for a bumper harvest. The women however do not participate in the dancing, as they have an important function of offering sacrificial food to the spirits of the forefathers. The festival held at Jowai is one of the most well known and recreational festival in Meghalaya. The ceremony and ritual is carried out three days and on the last day, in the afternoon people would gather in a place called Aitnar and both young and old would dance to the tunes of the pipes and drums. The dancers are highly emotional when tall-decorated structures called "Raths" and a wooden post-called "Khnongs" would be brought into the pool. It is desirable that there should be rain on the day of the festival. Photo Caption: SUBHAMOY BHATTACHARJEE

Behdienkhlam Festival Of Meghalaya In India104482

05/08

Caption

People from Jaintia Tribe of Meghalaya taking part at the traditional dance rituals on the final day of Behdienkhlam Festival in Jowai district Township, 65 kms form Shillong (the capital city of Meghalaya) on Friday, July 10, 2009. Behdienkhlam Festival is the most celebrated religious festival among the Pnars. Behdienkhlam (chasing away the Demon of Cholera) is celebrated annually in July after the sowing period, the most important dance festival of the Jaintia tribes. This festival is also an invocation to God, seeking his blessings for a bumper harvest. The women however do not participate in the dancing, as they have an important function of offering sacrificial food to the spirits of the forefathers. The festival held at Jowai is one of the most well known and recreational festival in Meghalaya. The ceremony and ritual is carried out three days and on the last day, in the afternoon people would gather in a place called Aitnar and both young and old would dance to the tunes of the pipes and drums. The dancers are highly emotional when tall-decorated structures called "Raths" and a wooden post-called "Khnongs" would be brought into the pool. It is desirable that there should be rain on the day of the festival. Photo Caption: SUBHAMOY BHATTACHARJEE

Behdienkhlam Festival Of Meghalaya In India104483

06/08

Caption

People from Jaintia Tribe of Meghalaya taking part at the traditional dance rituals on the final day of Behdienkhlam Festival in Jowai district Township, 65 kms form Shillong (the capital city of Meghalaya) on Friday, July 10, 2009. Behdienkhlam Festival is the most celebrated religious festival among the Pnars. Behdienkhlam (chasing away the Demon of Cholera) is celebrated annually in July after the sowing period, the most important dance festival of the Jaintia tribes. This festival is also an invocation to God, seeking his blessings for a bumper harvest. The women however do not participate in the dancing, as they have an important function of offering sacrificial food to the spirits of the forefathers. The festival held at Jowai is one of the most well known and recreational festival in Meghalaya. The ceremony and ritual is carried out three days and on the last day, in the afternoon people would gather in a place called Aitnar and both young and old would dance to the tunes of the pipes and drums. The dancers are highly emotional when tall-decorated structures called "Raths" and a wooden post-called "Khnongs" would be brought into the pool. It is desirable that there should be rain on the day of the festival. Photo Caption: SUBHAMOY BHATTACHARJEE

Behdienkhlam Festival Of Meghalaya In India104496

07/08

Caption

People from Jaintia Tribe of Meghalaya taking part at the traditional dance rituals on the final day of Behdienkhlam Festival in Jowai district Township, 65 kms form Shillong (the capital city of Meghalaya) on Friday, July 10, 2009. Behdienkhlam Festival is the most celebrated religious festival among the Pnars. Behdienkhlam (chasing away the Demon of Cholera) is celebrated annually in July after the sowing period, the most important dance festival of the Jaintia tribes. This festival is also an invocation to God, seeking his blessings for a bumper harvest. The women however do not participate in the dancing, as they have an important function of offering sacrificial food to the spirits of the forefathers. The festival held at Jowai is one of the most well known and recreational festival in Meghalaya. The ceremony and ritual is carried out three days and on the last day, in the afternoon people would gather in a place called Aitnar and both young and old would dance to the tunes of the pipes and drums. The dancers are highly emotional when tall-decorated structures called "Raths" and a wooden post-called "Khnongs" would be brought into the pool. It is desirable that there should be rain on the day of the festival. Photo Caption: SUBHAMOY BHATTACHARJEE

Behdienkhlam Festival Of Meghalaya In India104818

08/08

Caption

People from Jaintia Tribe of Meghalaya taking part at the traditional dance rituals on the final day of Behdienkhlam Festival in Jowai district Township, 65 kms form Shillong (the capital city of Meghalaya) on Friday, July 10, 2009. Behdienkhlam Festival is the most celebrated religious festival among the Pnars. Behdienkhlam (chasing away the Demon of Cholera) is celebrated annually in July after the sowing period, the most important dance festival of the Jaintia tribes. This festival is also an invocation to God, seeking his blessings for a bumper harvest. The women however do not participate in the dancing, as they have an important function of offering sacrificial food to the spirits of the forefathers. The festival held at Jowai is one of the most well known and recreational festival in Meghalaya. The ceremony and ritual is carried out three days and on the last day, in the afternoon people would gather in a place called Aitnar and both young and old would dance to the tunes of the pipes and drums. The dancers are highly emotional when tall-decorated structures called "Raths" and a wooden post-called "Khnongs" would be brought into the pool. It is desirable that there should be rain on the day of the festival. Photo Caption: SUBHAMOY BHATTACHARJEE