Festivals as a Part of Jaintia Cultural Identity Formation

Cultural festivals play an important role in the life of every individual.
They inform the community members of their traditions and serve
as bonds of unity. They are part of intangible cultural heritage that
communities have built along with their values. All festivals are cultural
in one way or another. There are several types of cultural festivals such
as national, religious, and seasonal festivals. Many such festivals have
religious origins and entwine cultural and religious significance in
traditional activities, especially in tribal societies. They rejuvenate the
human relation with God, nature, and one another, and thus, festive
practices provide an index of the vital pulse of a society. Festivals of the
Jaintia/Pnar tribal community of Meghalaya in India have helped them
maintain their ethnic and socio-cultural identity, build up communal
or ethnic ties, perpetuate traditional cultural institutions, and preserve
knowledge for the posterity of their community. In this article, the
author analyzes the following cultural festivals of the Jaintia/Pnars: Beh
dien-khlam, Chad Lahoo, Chad Sukra, Chad Chipiah, Chad Pastieh, and Chad
Pliang. For the Jaintia/Pnars, these festivals are expressions of their duty
to spread the cheer of life to everyone irrespective of their position
in the society and religious affinity. For them, festivals are meant for
celebrating their identity as people of God, created, nurtured, and
nourished by Him, who eagerly waits for their return to heaven.