Nongkrem Dance

Nongkrem (Ka Pomblang Nongkrem) is the most important religious festival of the Khasi people, held annually at Smit village, the cultural capital of the Hima Khyrim kingdom near Shillong.

The dance is a thanksgiving offering to Ka Blei Synshar for a good harvest and to invoke peace and prosperity for the community.

Nongkrem has been performed at Smit's Iing Sad (royal sanctum) for centuries under the patronage of the Syiem of Hima Khyrim, one of the surviving Khasi chieftaincies.

It centres on the Pomblang — the ritual goat sacrifice — followed by the public dance on the second and final days.

The Khasis are a matrilineal Austroasiatic people of Meghalaya's central plateau, who follow the indigenous Niam Khasi religion alongside Christianity.

The dance is led by the Syiem and the high priest (Lyngdoh), and only unmarried Khasi women may take part as Ka Shad Kynthei.

• Women (Ka Shad Kynthei) wear the jainsem and dhara in muted silk, layered with heavy gold and coral jewellery and a silver crown (pansngiat).
• Men (U Shad Mastieh) wear silk dhotis, sleeveless jackets and turbans, and dance with a sword (waitlam) in the right hand and a yak-tail whisk in the left.

• Ka Pomblang Nongkrem — Smit, near Shillong (annually in November).

• Smit village, 15 km from Shillong — the only venue for the authentic Nongkrem.
• Iing Sad (the Syiem's royal sanctum) at Smit — the dance grounds.

A curated gallery of Nongkrem Dance. Images are placeholders until license-cleared photographs are sourced.