Nongkrem Dance Festival

Nongkrem Dance Festival is a five-day Khasi thanksgiving ceremony held every autumn at Smit, the cultural seat of the Hima Khyrim, about 11 km south of Shillong.

The festival is presided over by the Syiem (chief) of Hima Khyrim along with the High Priestess (Ka Syiem Sad), and centres on the Pomblang (goat-offering) ceremony to invoke the blessings of the goddess Ka Blei Synshar for a good harvest and the well-being of the community.

• Pomblang (goat sacrifice) ceremony led by the Syiem of Hima Khyrim
• Ka Shad Kynthei — the unmarried Khasi women's dance
• Ka Shad Mastieh — the warriors' sword dance
• Traditional Khasi gold and coral jewellery
• Bamboo flute and drum (ksing) ensembles

• One of the oldest continuously performed Khasi ceremonies
• Held at Smit, the cultural capital of the Khasi people
• Intimate scale — far quieter than Shillong's bigger events
• Short drive from Shillong with easy day-trip logistics

The Nongkrem Dance is one of the oldest continuously performed Khasi ceremonies. It originated as the religious thanksgiving of Hima Khyrim, a Khasi syiemship whose traditional ritual headquarters is at Smit. The festival is conducted under the joint religious authority of the Syiem of Hima Khyrim and the Ka Syiem Sad.

• Annual dates: usually in early to mid November (five days). Exact dates are set each year by Hima Khyrim and announced through Meghalaya Tourism.
• Venue: Iing Sad (sacred royal house), Smit, East Khasi Hills, ~11 km from Shillong.

The Khasi are one of Meghalaya's matrilineal communities. Clan name and ancestral property pass through the mother, and the youngest daughter (Ka Khadduh) inherits the family home and ritual responsibilities.

Traditional Khasi attire at the festival is striking: unmarried women wear the Jainsem and Dhara with elaborate gold, silver and coral jewellery and a silver crown (Pansngiat); men wear the Jymphong tunic with a turban and carry a sword and arrow as symbols of guardianship.

Nongkrem is a religious thanksgiving offered for the harvest and for the welfare of the people of Hima Khyrim. The Pomblang ritual seeks the blessings of Lei Shyllong, the presiding deity of Shillong Peak, and of the ancestors of the syiemship.

• Pomblang (goat offering) ceremony led by the Syiem of Hima Khyrim.
• Ka Shad Kynthei — the unmarried Khasi women's dance, performed in full traditional jewellery.
• Ka Shad Mastieh — the warriors' sword dance performed by Khasi men.
• Bamboo flute (tangmuri) and drum (ksing) ensembles accompanying the dancers.
• Visit to the traditional thatched Iing Sad, the sacred royal house at Smit.

• Air: Guwahati Airport (GAU) is the most convenient, ~115 km from Shillong via NH-6. Shillong has limited connectivity via Umroi Airport (SHL).
• Rail: Guwahati Railway Station, ~100 km, is the nearest railhead.
• Road: Smit is ~11 km from Shillong on the Shillong–Jowai road. Shared taxis (Sumo) and pre-booked cabs reach Smit in 25–30 minutes from Police Bazaar.

No special permits are required for Meghalaya for Indian or foreign nationals.

November in Shillong and Smit is cool and clear, with daytime temperatures around 14–20 °C and nights dropping to 6–10 °C. Pack a warm fleece, a light jacket and a folding umbrella for occasional showers.

Most visitors stay in Shillong (Police Bazaar, Laitumkhrah and Nongthymmai have the widest range of hotels and homestays) and drive to Smit each morning. A small number of village homestays in Smit can be arranged through Meghalaya Tourism.

• Shoot the women's dance in the morning when the sun lights the Iing Sad courtyard evenly.
• Avoid flash during the Pomblang ceremony; ask before photographing the Syiem or the High Priestess.
• A 50 mm or 85 mm prime works well for jewellery portraits.

• Shillong Peak (1,965 m) for panoramic views over the city.
• Mawphlang Sacred Grove — one of Meghalaya's protected khlaw kyntang sacred forests.
• Elephant Falls and Laitlum Canyons.
• Cherrapunji (Sohra) — Nohkalikai Falls and the living root bridges, two hours' drive south.

A curated selection of photographs from Nongkrem Dance Festival. All images are placeholders until license-cleared festival-specific photographs are sourced — see our photography policy.

Image pending reviewNongkrem Dance FestivalAwaiting licensed photograph

Nongkrem Dance Festival is a living cultural event hosted by the Khasi community. Please attend as a respectful guest, not a spectator.

• Day 1 — Arrive Shillong; walk Ward's Lake, Don Bosco Centre for Indigenous Cultures and the evening Police Bazar.
• Day 2 — Drive to Smit, the cultural capital of the Khasi Hyñiewtrep Syiemship; full day at the Nongkrem Dance: Pomblang goat sacrifice, Ka Shad Kynthei and Ka Shad Mastieh.
• Day 3 — Second morning at Smit for the closing dances, then drive to Mawphlang Sacred Grove with a Khasi forest guide.
• Day 4 — Day trip to Sohra (Cherrapunji): Nohkalikai Falls, Mawsmai cave and the living root bridges around Tyrna.
• Day 5 — Mawlynnong and Dawki for the Umngot river, return to Shillong and onward transfer to Guwahati.