Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Shillong: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma sent his regards to the Unitarian community on September 18. The state marks the 139th Unitarian Day today. The movement holds deep ties to the Khasi-Jaintia Hills.
Hajom Kissor Singh started this movement in 1887. He held the very first service at his home in Jowai on September 18 of that year. It has now endured for nearly 140 years.
Sangma praised the group for keeping Meghalaya's spiritual and cultural heritage alive. He noted the community upholds values of faith, peace, reason, tolerance, and service. "The occasion was an opportunity to recognise the Unitarian community's contribution to preserving Meghalaya's distinctive spiritual and cultural heritage while upholding values of faith, peace, reason, tolerance and service," the Chief Minister said.
The governor highlighted the community as a symbol of the state's pluralistic traditions. He pushed for mutual respect between all faiths. Sangma hopes the day inspires future generations to embrace these same values of peace and service.
Updated at 19th September 2026 at 1:48am
Members of the community observed the anniversary with prayer services and public demonstrations in Shillong and Jowai. In Jowai, the local Unitarian Church adopted the theme 'Let Us Listen to the Call of Tomorrow' for the celebration.
Events in Jowai kicked off at 8:30 am with a flag hoisting and a flower-laying ceremony at the statue of Hajom Kissor Singh led by Moderator Dorismum M Ngap. Later in the day, attendees heard an exhortation from Dr. Vicky Mannar accompanied by a choir performance by SSUCJ. The youth wing wrapped up the Jowai festivities with a torchlight procession, known as a dongmusa, through town.
The faith, known locally as Ka Niam Unitarian, focuses on belief in one God and stresses moral duty toward oneself and others. The movement blends indigenous Khasi values with its own established religious identity.
Updated at 19th September 2026 at 5:49pm
Activities stretched from the Madan Laban church in Shillong to the heart of Jowai. The day featured a noon worship service, followed by a formal flag lowering ceremony led by Daioolang Pakma in the evening.
The youth wing kept tradition alive through the streets of Jowai, carrying a dongmusa, or traditional torch, to close out the anniversary events.
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