Behdienkhlam Festival - A Type Of Football Is Playing With A Wooden Ball In This Festival Days

BEHDIENKHLAM FESTIVAL

AT

MEGHALAYA

Source: flicker

Most popular festival of the Jaintia tribe, Behdienkhlam is celebrated in the month of July for good health, property and bumper harvest. Although Behdienkhlam is celebrated all over the Jaintia hills, the main spectacle happens in the town of Jowai, about 64 km away from Shillong. The ceremony and ritual was carried out for three 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.

The dancers are highly emotional when tall-decorated structures called rots and a wooden post-called khnongs were brought into the pool. As part of the celebration, a game similar to football called dat la wakor was held between the residents of the northern side of Jowai and the southern side each team trying to score a goal with a wooden ball. The one to score first is the winner and it is also believed that the winner would have a bumper harvest.

The non-Christian 'Pnar' people who believe either in the traditional faith of 'Niamtre' or Hinduism observe this festival. According to folktales, Jowai town was once covered by thick forest, without any human habitation. It was home of five deities, four stones and a river nymph. The four huge stones can still be seen at the four corners of Jowai town. 

The five deities wished that god would send humans to settle in this region, and thus a wandering Mongolian tribe arrived in this forest. To celebrate the presence of humans, 'U-Mokhai' the eldest of the deities began a ceremonial dance. Upon seeing the thunder and noise from the dance, the tribes got scared and began to flee. U-Mokhai then stopped and addressed them that they are safe and are meant to inhabit this forest. 

The festival begins with sacrificing pig to 'Knia Pyrthat' (Thunder) followed by the 'Wasan' (Priest) ringing the brass bell along the main road of the town to the point where the forest begins. Rounded, polished and tall trunks of tree are felled in the sacred forest and are left in the woods for couple of days. The trunks are then brought to the town with great fanfare, dancing and singing. On the fourth day, the youth of the town led by the priest visit each and every home, climb to the roof and beat it with a bamboo stick to chase away any evil spirits. 

The people also display their artistic skills by erecting 'rots' (tall bamboo structures decorated with colour paper and tinsel). The rots are then carried to the 'Aitnar site', where women and men gather. The rots arrive and the polished, rounded logs are thrown into the river. The dancing men rush and try to balance themselves on the rolling and slippery logs. At the end, 'Dad-Lawakor', a type of football is played with a wooden ball.

Monsoon Season Experiences Throughout The Year-Cherrapunji

MONSOON SEASON EXPERIENCES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR-CHERRAPUNJI

Cherrapunji is a city in the state of Meghalaya, India that experiences monsoon season throughout the year. It is recorded to be amongst the world's wettest regions. It is often referred to as the ‘Land of Oranges’. It is a popular tourist destination because of its pristine and natural beauty.

High above misty valleys and foaming rivers,ensconced in swirling clouds and perched on an escarpment, lies cherrapunji (4500 feet).

This is stunning location and the year–round rain earned Cherrpunji coveted entry long ago into the Guinness Book of World Records as the wettest place on earth, the place where the rainfall can be recorded in feet rather than in millimeters.

Today climatic changes have edged Cherrapunji out of the topmost ‘wet’ slot, but it still retains its pristine beauty, its unusual facts, the perpetual clouds, and the perpetual mists. Appropriately Cherrapunji lies in the heart of the State of Meghalaya- the abode of clouds.

Cherrapunji is perhaps the only place in India, which has just one season:The monsoon. The rainfall varies from heavy to medium to light, but there is no month without rain. Another surprising fact about Cherrapunji is that it rains mostly at night. Day–to-day activity is not really disrupted by the rain.

As in days gone by, the faces of Cherrapunji change not with the seasons, but with the patteren of rainfall. The heaviest downpours span approximately five long months-from May until September.

The clouds then are dark and meancing, full blown with rain, which descends earthwards with the stinging force of a whiplash. Throughout these months, Cherrapunji is transformed into a sea of tiny,gushing rivulets.

The raindrops beat incessantly on rooftops and treetops creating a compelling tattoo of awesome sounds, which cannot be savored anywhere else but in the Northeastern states.

These are also the record-making months, which contribute to records such as the stunning 22,987 mm of rainfall in 1861. The  annual average rainfall of Cherrapunji stands today at 10,871 mm.

Barely 10km from Cherrapunji stands the village of Mawsynram, which has snatched away the heaviest rainfall record, with 12,163 mm of rainfall.

With the passage of September, the rhythm of the rain-its main force spent-changes to a gentle patter. And the khasis and other residents of Cherrapunji, the flora, and the fauna respond to the change in the Rain God’s mood.

Soft pastel shades begin to appear in skies that were gray all day and rainbows that are a photographer’s delight begin to make unexpected guest appearances.

The hills around Cherrapunji do  not have the lush green vegetation one normally associates with wet places. The vegetative cover in the form of dense woods appears in patches and constitute yet another marvelous surprise.

The richness and variety of the flora in these ‘zones’ has to be seen to be believed. An amazing variety of rare orchids, ferns and moss convert each pocket into a botanist’s paradise. Cherrapunji procduces the best quality to oranges as well as pineapples. Infact Cherrapunji oranges are ancestors of the famous Nagpuri oranges in the Central India

By Air

Shillong (Umroi) airport is the nearest to Cherrapunji. Shillong is the capital of Meghalaya and is well connected to other major cities of the nation. Indian airlines run a 50 seater ATR German aircraft on this route. 

Gopinath Bordoloi Airport in Guwahati is the nearest international airport to Cherrapunji. 

There are flights from New Delhi or Kolkata to Guwahati. Flights from Kolkata operate on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

By Rail

Guwahati acts as the nearest railhead to Cherrapunji. Although it lies at a distance of 181 km from this region, buss or taxis can be availed from the railway station. Guwahati railway station is well connected to the entire country and regular trains carry passengers to and from. 

By Road

The state transport bus station lies in Paltan Bazaar, near Guwahati Railway Station. A tourist can catch Assam state and Meghalaya state transport buses to Shillong. Apart from this, there are many private luxury coach operators nearby, who also ply their buses. There is also the tourist taxi stand that provides tourist taxis up to Shillong.

States buses run frequently between Shillong and Cherrapunji. The tickets too are affordable.

SHILLONG

HILL STATION

AT

SHILLONG

Shillong is a hill station in northeast India and capital of the state of Meghalaya. The capital city of the State as well as the District headquarter of East Khasi Hills District. Shillong is the only hill station in the country that is accessible from all sides.

Shillong is a beautiful hill station located at the height of 1496 meters. It is also called ‘ Scotland of the East ' due to its striking similarity with the Scottish highlands. 

The romantic city of Shillong is one of the important tourist destinations in the northeast. Its breathtaking views attract tourists from all over the world.

Being located in the wettest state in India, Shillong’s climate is highly affected by the frequent showers throughout the summers, monsoons and autumn seasons. 

The summer temperature during the months between April and June rarely goes beyond 25 degrees Celsius with frequent rains that make the climate pleasant.

Once inhabited by tribal people, Shillong is presently home to citizens who are conscious about fashion, rock music and food. All this is reflected in every nook and cranny of the city. Easy access, warm people and a lot to experience are what Shillong offers tourists coming to this beautiful destination in Meghalaya.

The places to visit in Shillong are the Elephant falls, Shillong peak (the highest point of the state), Shillong Golf Course, Wards Lake and Don Bosco Centre of Indigenous Culture. Shillong is one of the most civilized towns of Meghalaya.

By Air

The nearest airport to the hill station is the Umroi Airport near Barapani, which is about 25 kilometres away. This has limited connectivity with other cities. The nearest major airport that is well-connected with multiple cities across India is in Guwahati, which is about 125 kilometres away.

By Train

Guwahati is the nearest railway station, around 100 km away. From station you can hire a taxi to Shillong. Guwahati is well-connected to all major railway stations of India.

By Bus

The government of Shillong and Meghalaya provides good number of buses to and from Guwahati bus station. One can get down at this bus station and get a bus to Shillong. Its around 3 hours drive from Guwahati to Shillong. there are share taxis available at every spot.

7 DISTRICTS OF MEGHALAYA

MEGHALAYA

Meghalaya is also known as the 'abode of the cloud' as 'megh' refers to clouds and 'alaya' means home. It is meant for Gods to live in with its pure atmosphere. It invites you with open arms to spend some quality time in its lap of nature. It is a region of beautiful picturesques, undulating hills, fertile valleys, natural vegetation belt, 250 species of orchids, meandering rivers, dense forests, waterfalls, diverse variety of flora and fauna, dazzling mountain streams and lakes. Nearly 500 species of butterflies are found in Meghalaya. It is one of the country’s newest states with its capital at Shillong. The colourful state of Meghalaya celebrates many colourful festivals which marks the various rituals and celebrations in the state. It is one of the most beautiful states in India.

DISTRICTS OF MEGHALAYA

1. Ri-Bhoi 
2. South Garo Hills
3. East Khasi Hill
4. East Garo Hill
5. West Garo Hill
6. Jaintia Hill
7. West Khasi Hill