By Dr. Omarlin Kyndiah
The myth of Niaw Wasa, or Hynniew Trep, is central to the identity of the Jaintia and Khasi people. In the Jaintia Hills, a fuller version of this myth is widely known. Their religion, Ka Niam, is more than just a spiritual practice—it is a code of conduct shaped by the myth of Hynniew Trep. But it is through the story of U Syiem Lakriah that divine laws take form. U Syiem Lakriah, God’s emissary, was sent to establish social order and deliver sacred commandments to the people.
Dance as religious devotion has been a sacred human expression since ancient times. The earliest evidence of dance is found in 9,000-year-old cave paintings in India, showing tribal members dancing in celebration after successful hunts. Over time, these rituals merged with spiritual traditions, becoming powerful ways to convey myths, legends, and even cosmic events. In many faiths, dance became prayer in motion—a way to express joy, gratitude, and reverence, and to serve as a bridge between God and humanity.
Behdeinkhlam: Dance Against Darkness
Niam Behdeinkhlam is a major religious festival of the Jaintia tribe of Meghalaya. It began as a sacred dance called Ka Chad Soo Sngi Le Yaw, meant to invoke divine presence. Later, during an outbreak of cholera (ka Khlam prai pynhiar) that swept through Jaintiapur in Sylhet and reached the Jaintia hills, prayers intensified. During the annual festival, people prayed to U Tre Kirot to drive away the plague. From this, the name Behdeinkhlam was born.
The name is derived from three Jaintia words: "Beh" (to chase), "Dein" (a tree), and "Khlam" (plague or epidemic). Though the rituals evolved, their spiritual foundation remained rooted in ancient beliefs.
The rituals in Behdeinkhlam trace back to the myth of U Lakriah and the descent of U Niaw Wasa through Ka Tangnoob Tangjri (the golden ladder). The myth reminds the community of a long-lost Golden Age, when humanity and divinity were closely linked. As Prof. Soumen Sen writes in Between Tradition and Change, the myth of U Lakriah aligns with those of U Sohpetbneng and U Lum Diengiei, where the removal of the golden ladder led to spiritual disconnection and crisis. But through prayer, that connection was restored. God chose U Lakriah to communicate His divine will. Thus, social and religious order returned.
The myth teaches that U Lakriah received divine commandments from U Tre Kirot, and passed them on to U Niaw Wasa. This myth is foundational to the Jaintia and Khasi origin stories. As the first leader, U Lakriah introduced Niam, the sacred code, making their faith known as Niamtre.
Behdeinkhlam celebrates the earthly settlement of Niaw Wasa. It is a time of gratitude, prayer, and reverence. The rituals honor U Syiem Lakriah and the four ancestral mothers: Ka Bon, Ka Teiñ, Ka Wet, and Ka Doh. Sacrifices are made to Ki Blai Chnong Blai Raid, seeking protection from famine, disease, and natural disasters. Prayers are offered to Ka Bei Rymaw for agricultural prosperity.
During the festival, ritual food known as Ki Sangia Ki Saret is offered to the ancestors. These offerings represent a spiritual connection between the living and the dead, who are believed to be invisibly present with their families throughout the four-day celebration.
Held during the peak of monsoon, Behdeinkhlam is not just spiritual but practical. It marks the end of sowing and the need to protect crops from natural threats. As an agrarian ritual, it seeks both divine blessings and practical protection.
Chad Chiphiah: The Divine Dance of Harmony
Also known as the Laho Dance, Chad Chiphiah is said to have originated by the grace of God. Its story is deeply linked to the descent of U Niaw Wasa and the leadership of U Syiem Lakriah. When God wished to send U Niaw Wasa—the "seven huts"—to earth, He chose U Lakriah to guide them. U Tre Kirot appeared to Lakriah in the form of a rainbow, a divine bridge, a symbol of peace and promise. Yet, in some cultures, rainbows are feared as omens—proof of how symbols can carry different meanings across traditions.
In the beginning, the earth was lifeless—rock, water, and air. No soil meant no cultivation. Niaw Wasa was unhappy. They told Lakriah they could not settle or grow crops. God responded by commanding Ka Bei Rymaw (Earth Mother) to provide three baskets of soil, ka le khoh le sun, to make the earth fertile. As the earth became green, U Lakriah performed ka suit ka choor, a libation ritual, to seek the form of dance that would please God.
First, he offered Ka Chad Chijur, a partner dance between a man and woman. But this form was rejected. According to the parable of Ka Krem Lamet Ka Krem Latang, the Sun and Moon—sister and brother—once danced together on earth. Their act was seen as taboo, making couple dancing unacceptable.
Lakriah then sought divine approval for a new form of dance. This time, it featured one woman between two men—one representing the father, the other the maternal uncle. The woman, symbolizing Ka Langdoh (chief priestess), stood at the center of familial authority. This became Chad Chiphiah.
Over time, the dance was forgotten. Its revival came in 1917, according to Mr. Baliro Nikhla. At that time, a woman named Ka Riang Nikhla from Jwai, believed to possess divine gifts, disappeared into a place called Chahtngit. After her death, her clan revered her as a deity, Ka Weipun Riangkit. In a trance state known as hiar chwar or hiar blai (similar to glossolalia), her spirit urged the elders to revive Chad Chiphiah. The dance was performed again at the home of U Sing Nikhla in Chilliang Raij, Jwai. Since then, it is also known as Chad Nikhla.
Sacred Movement and Collective Memory
Across cultures, dance does more than entertain—it binds people together, anchors memory, and gives shape to beliefs that words alone cannot hold. It is an expression of shared identity, of sorrow and celebration, of life’s deepest questions and highest hopes. For the Jaintia community, dance is not merely cultural performance; it is spiritual heritage in motion.
The myths of U Syiem Lakriah and U Niaw Wasa are not distant folklore. They are the spiritual architecture upon which the Jaintia worldview rests. These stories live on through movement—through Behdeinkhlam and Laho Dance—transforming myth into memory, memory into meaning. Each step, each gesture, becomes a sacred offering that transcends time, renewing the bonds between people, place, and the divine.
Behdeinkhlam and Laho are not just rituals. They are sacred re-enactments of creation, of divine guidance, of community resilience. They express the belief that the sacred still walks among the people, that God still listens, and that ancestors are never far. These dances are not performed for spectacle—they are performed to remember, to pray, to belong.
Through these rituals, the Jaintia reaffirm who they are, where they come from, and whom they honor. In the rhythms of the drum and the movements of the body, they keep the ancient covenant alive—between the living and the dead, between the earthly and the divine, and between the past and the future.
