Behdienkhlam
AI-drafted · awaiting admin review
A Pnar (Jaintia) festival of Jowai held to drive away plague and disease, with dancing, giant decorated structures and a ball game in a pool.
RitualWhere: Meghalaya (Jowai, West Jaintia Hills)Occasion: Behdienkhlam festival, usually in July after the sowing
| Performed by | Men and boys of the Pnar community who follow the Niamtre faith; the whole town takes part |
|---|---|
| Costume | Everyday or traditional dress; colourful headgear and cloth for the dancers |
| Music and instruments | Drums and pipes |
How it is performed
- Before the festival, men go from house to house beating the roofs with bamboo poles to drive out disease.
- Tall decorated structures called rots and long tree trunks called dienkhlam are carried in procession to a pool called Aitnar.
- Men dance in the mud and water of the pool to the beat of drums.
- Two teams play datlawakor, a game in which they struggle for a wooden ball, which is read as a sign for the coming harvest.
Significance
Behdienkhlam means ‘chasing away the demon of plague’. It is the biggest festival of the Pnar people and asks for good health and a good harvest.