Smit/Assananggre, Nov. 8: “Tradition” was the buzzword today as Meghalaya celebrated two of its oldest festivals — the Nongkrem dance of the Khasis at Smit (East Khasi Hills) and the Wangala dance of the Garos at Assananggre (West Garo Hills).

Both festivals mark the end of a period of toil in the field and harvesting of bumper crops and are similar in many other ways.

What was most striking this time was the involvement of the younger generation to “preserve our culture no matter what”.

The sleepy hamlet of Smit came alive with thousands of people from all over the state thronging the Syiem (chief) of Khyrim’s dorbar to witness the annual religious festival of the Khasis — the Nongkrem Dance. The Garo Hills, meanwhile, reverberated with the sounds of drums and flutes as people danced and converged at the house of the Nokma (village headman) in colourful traditional attire for the ceremonies.

The capital city wore a near- deserted look with most people taking a drive up to Smit, which is 17 km away, for the Nongkrem dance.

This thanksgiving festival of the Khyrim Syiemship, more popularly known as Shad Nongkrem, is the most ancient and renowned festival of the Khasis.

The whole of Smit sparkled as women bedecked in traditional attire and gold ornaments danced to the tune of the drums and photographers from different parts of the world captured the moments in their camera.

The festival has over the years become a “delight” for academicians and researchers studying ancient culture.

“We are here to study how people have carefully preserved their ancient culture,” a group of young research scholars from Europe said.

According to S. Sawain, who has been documenting traditional culture, “The fundamental ideas underlying this festival and even the colourful dances and the music of the drums and pipes accompanying them remain as they were in the days of antiquity”.

The five-day festival, which takes place every autumn after the harvest, has also become a subject of research for filmmakers.

Recently, Mumbai-based filmmakers making a documentary on indigenous culturestayed here for over a month to document the Nongkrem festival which features prominently in their film. .

People of Smit have begun to realise that their richness lies in their culture and are, therefore, making an all-out effort to keep it intact, the elders of Smit, including Syiem of Hima Khyrim, Balajied Syiem, observed.

“Our tradition has not been swayed by outside influence because it is too strong to come under any influence”, said Isabela Kharbuli as she watched the young women and children dance elegantly in a gesture of thanksgiving to God for a life of peace and harmony.