Shillong, Nov 12: Nongkrem Dance or Shad Nongkrem concluded at Smit on Thursday with the execution of goats.
The two-day festival was celebrated every year at Smit, the capital of Hima Khyrim (Khyrim Kingdom) to give thanks to the Almighty for showering blessings upon the people of the Khyrim Kingdom especially in the field of agriculture and welfare.
Shad Nongkrem was also to seek blessings of Almighty and give thanks for showering blessings especially in the field of agriculture and welfare of the people.
The annual dance began on Wednesday with the execution of goats known as Pom Blang ïewduh.
Earlier during the day, Meghalaya Governor, Tathagata Roy and other dignitaries attended the festival and witnessed the traditional dances participated by young males and females including children.
Dancers, both male and female dressed in traditional attire danced to the tune of the traditional musical pipe (Tangmuri) and drums (ksing) as thousands of spectators including tourists from abroad and India came to witness the event.
Female dancers performed Ka Shad Kynthei in the inner circle of the dancing ground while male dancers performed Ka Shad Mastieh in the outer circle and held swords in their right hand, and a white Yak hair in their left hand while changing beats of the drums and pipes (Tangmuri).
Before dusk, the dance came to an end, which was followed by rituals and execution of goats.
But the people who attended the festival took little to care about the environment and the surrounding area, as the area was flooded with plastics and waste papers, which were indiscriminately, threw by the people including children who came to the festival.