(GIST OF YOJANA) Rongkhli – Meghalaya

[August-2020]

Rongkhli or Tiger Festival is a religious festival celebrated by the people of Nongtalang village in the War-Jaintia region of Meghalaya. The War-Jaintias lives on the slopes of the west Jaintia hills district bordering Bangladesh.
Like all other sub-tribes of the Khasis, the War-Jaintias too believe that they came to this earth from the sky through a golden ladder that was located at one point of time at Sohpetbneng mountain top in the northern part of the Khasi Hills of Meghalaya.
Rong means festival and Khli means tiger, in the local dialect, hence Rongkhli means Tiger Festival. Tradition has it that whenever any person from the village catches a tiger or its feline like, rituals have to be performed.
The people of Nongtalang worship two goddesses namely; Ka Pyrtuh and Ka Kapong. The Dorbar is then summoned by the Chief of the village and a date is decided for the Festival. The festival is mainly held in the month of January to March.