Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Shillong: The Pnar community in Meghalaya turned out today for the Behdienkhlam festival. This annual event brings locals together to pray for peace and a heavy harvest. The name translates to "chasing away the demon of cholera." It focuses on clearing out disease and bad luck after the sowing season ends.
Led by the Daloi, or traditional chief, young men strike house roofs with bamboo poles. They aim to drive away evil spirits and keep the community safe. It gets loud. Drums and pipes dictate the rhythm as men drag massive wooden logs through the thick mud at Aitnar.
People carry decorated wooden structures called Rots to a sacred pool. The festivities end with a game called Dad-lawakor. Players kick a wooden ball to represent a match between the northern and southern regions. Locals believe the winner of this game predicts which side will see the most prosperous crops in the year ahead.
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