The culture of a land is determined by its people, their language, beliefs, the festivals they celebrate, the religion they follow, their occupation, the art and crafts and their songs and dances. Meghalaya is dominated by the Garb, Khasi and the Jaintias tribes who have a unique culture very different from the rest of the country. Culture of Meghalaya is an interesting subject of study for those interested in understanding the various ethnic tribes of India.

Matrilineal Lineage

Culture of Meghalaya is

dominated by the people of Meghalaya who follow the Christian religion. Before the arrival of Christian missionaries in the late 19th century the tribals were Pagans. Predominated by nature’s various phases the people owed their allegiance to the nature God. The Garos, Khasis and the Jaintias are the principle groups of people living in Meghalaya. We can trace out the origin of the Garos to a greater part of the Bodo Kacheri family while the Khasis belong to the Mon-Khemar sub family of the Austro group. The Khasis and the Jaintia tribes are primarily matrilineal. The proper inheritor of the properties is none other than the females of the family, especially the youngest daughter.

Festivals

Festivals play an important role in the tribal people of Meghalaya. According to the Garo legend, to honor the Sun God Wangala or the 100 Drums festival is held in the Garo hills. The simple village people for whom nature play a crucial role in their lively hood show their allegiance by performing rituals and participating in dances such as the Doregata dance and the Pomelo dance which are permeated with rhythmic beats. The colorful Nongkrem dance, representing an ancient religious festival of the Khasis is performed with full gusto. Another Khasi dance that displays the entire Khasi finery is a typical thanksgiving dance while the Harvest dance of Southern Meghalaya reestablishes the importance of nature in the lives of the people of the hills. The Jaintia tribe with vibrant decorations celebrates the Behdienkhlam festival accompanied with their rhythmic lahoo dancers.

Art and Craft

With a rich cultural heritage these tribals are skilled in wood carving, weaving, cane and bamboo work. Silk and carpet weaving, designing ethnic jewelry, making musical instruments and weaving pineapple fiber articles are some of the other handicrafts of the people of Meghalaya.

This beautiful land of abundant natural beauty has immense tourist attraction. The ethnic tribes, their habitat, arts and handicrafts that form their Culture of Meghalaya attract many. Log on to northeastindia.com to know about the Culture of Meghalaya.