Women perform a traditional dance during the festival at Mawphlang in East Khasi Hills on Friday. Telegraph picture

Mawphlang, Oct. 25: The blacksmiths of Hima Mylliem to the dances from the interiors of Khasi hills or the “hearth”, which is significant for Khasis, or the traditional huts, were all on display at the first Monolith Festival here today.

Located around 20km from Shillong, the festival venue at the Khasi Heritage Village near the famous Law Kyntang or “sacred grove” in Mawphlang, was the cradle to showcase the divergent and profound lifestyles of Khasis who had come from far and near.

Union tribal affairs minister V. Kishore Chandra Deo, dressed in traditional Khasi attire, declared the two-day festival open amid the presence of hundreds of spectators who were in awe of the profound diversity notwithstanding the minority status of Khasis.

The aim of the festival, apart from conserving the Khasi heritage, was to provide the people an opportunity to sample music, dance, food and pure indigenous life.

“This is a classic example of convergence of the rich cultural traditions at this heritage village in the lap of nature. This will also serve as an effective mean for better understanding of Khasi life and their land in totality,” Deo said in his brief address.

Stating that the country has a rich cultural heritage, the minister said, “Our cultural traditions from the days of yore are, in fact, being preserved and nurtured mainly by the indigenous communities. It is they who are the repository of our traditional values and cultural heritage, which need to be protected. A standing example is the Law Kyntang.”

Deo said it has been his endeavour to ensure that the rich traditional knowledge of art and craft, knowledge of medicinal herbs, which were passed onto the indigenous people by their ancestors, are acknowledged, preserved and protected. He expressed hope the festival would serve as a model for other tribal communities across the country.

An initiative of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council, the festival is being organised by the Khasi Heritage Conservation Forum, in partnership with The Telegraph and t2, among others.

Assuring support to Meghalaya, the Union minister pledged that he would ensure an Eklavya model residential school would be established in the state, once a proposal in this regard is received from the state government.

The objective of the residential school is to provide quality middle and high school education to Scheduled Tribe students in remote areas, to enable them to not only avail of reservation in high and professional educational courses, and jobs in government, public and private sectors but also to have access to the best opportunities in education on a par with the non-ST population.

The autonomous council chief executive member P.N. Syiem said their initiative was to preserve and protect the Khasi culture from the onslaught of outside forces.

“This festival is a platform to revive, advocate and enrich the indigenous knowledge on agriculture, human and animal healthcare, food preparation, education, natural resource management, social interaction, environment and ecology, among many others,” he said. Syiem sought the support of the tribal affairs ministry for the setting up of a cultural centre-cum-tourist lodge alongside the heritage village.

Later in the afternoon, inhabitants from the different Himas or Khasi states displayed their traditional dances, which have hitherto been often forgotten.