Shillong, Jul 11: The annual Behdeinkhlam festival concluded in Jowai on Sunday amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. This year’s festival was low key and celebrated under strict adherence of the protocols of the Health and Family Welfare department.
The festival which started on July 8, only vaccinated people were allowed to be able to part take during the rituals.
The Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) have been prepared after taking into consideration of the importance of the Behdeinkhlam festival to the indigenous faith and the safety measures in performing the festival during the present atmosphere of the Covid-19 situation.
The festival’s rituals and ceremonies are meant to drive away ‘Ka Khlam’ or the pandemic in Pnar language.
On the concluding day of the Behdeinkhlam festival organised by Sein Raij Jowai, Meghalaya High Court Chief Justice Biswanath Somadder was in attendance.
Also on the concluding day, the men and youth along with the priest of the village carry bamboo sticks and beat them on the roof of the houses under the belief that this practice would keep the evil at a distance.
The climax of the celebration is the fight for a large undressed beam, the “Khnong Blai†or “Ka Deiñkhlamâ€, the main sacred log with people throwing mud at each other relentlessly as they battle it out for the prestigious and sacred beam.
The climax of this festival is when people converge to a place called Mynthong to witness a game played similar to football, called dad-lawakor.
The game is played with a wooden ball between the Northerners and the Southerners. The side wins the match by putting the ball on the other side would signify that in the following year there would be a bumper harvest.
