Shad Suk Mynsiem - A Festival Of Gratitude and Hope

As spring makes its entry and the harvests are done, the Khasis of Meghalaya organize a festival every year to celebrate and thank their Creator for blessing them with life and good things.

Shad Suk Mynsiem

It was the month of April. My mother and I were in Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya, for some business work. I noticed the streets were crowded with musicians playing their drums and blowing their pipes enthusiastically. I suddenly realized that it was my community’s biggest festival of the year—Shad Suk Mynsiem. My excitement knew no bounds since I grew up in a boarding school in Assam and never had the opportunity to attend the festival. We headed towards Weiking Ground to witness the special dance, and I continuously asked my mother about every little detail of the festival. Having learnt almost everything and doing my share of research, it’s my turn to tell the world about the speciality of Shad Suk Mynsiem.

Shad Suk Mynsiem means "the dance of peaceful hearts." As spring makes its entry and the harvests are done, the Khasis of Meghalaya organize a festival every year to celebrate and thank their Creator for blessing them with life and good things.

Spring symbolizes a new beginning, which is the case in most agrarian cultures. The Khasis sow new seeds at the beginning of the season, portraying their hope for the coming year. Although the majority of Khasis now follow Christianity, there are families who still follow the old beliefs. They believe that God exists in nature, and Shad Suk Mynsiem signifies the same.

The festival begins with a prayer meeting at the community hall. From there, the people leave for the community ground to perform the special dance, all the while playing their drums and blowing their pipes. The dance begins when evening approaches. Women are clad in the best silks, and they wear a crown of pure silver, with a white flower called Tiew Lasubon attached to the back of the crown. They also wear beaded necklaces, armlets, bracelets, and a silver chain across their necks. For men, they wear a traditional silk turban with a cock’s feather at the back, an embroidered sleeveless and collarless jacket, and a chain across their shoulders. They carry a silver quiver with arrows covered by a mesh belt at their waist. They also carry a traditional sword and a whisk.

It’s strange, but only virgin women participate in the dance, whereas there are no such restrictions for men. The dance is performed in two circles, with the women in the inner circle and the men in the outer circle. In the inner circle, the women dance by taking small steps forward, backward, and sideways, according to the rhythm of the music and have their eyes towards the ground. On the other hand, the men dance more energetically, with swift movements in clockwise and anticlockwise directions around the women.

The dance formation holds a special meaning. The women in the inner circle reflect their role in the community. They are the keepers of the hearth and the clan, since the Khasis follow the matrilineal system. Their crown represents their modesty, and the Lasubon flower represents their chastity. On the other hand, the men in the outer circle are the protectors of the land and its inhabitants. The arrows in their quiver represent their individual qualities. The dance also represents fertility. The women are the bearers of fruit, and the men are the cultivators who nurture the seed until it is harvested.

This festival is a reminder of all the blessings one has received throughout the year, which immediately turns into gratitude. The people thank the Creator for good health, a good harvest, and their life as a whole. They also portray their hope for more blessings through the sowing of seeds. It is truly a festival of gratitude and hope!