Maring

In the Khasi hills of Meghalaya, the Maring tribal community celebrates the spring season in a dance performed consecutively for four days. On the first day, rituals are performed and God is prayed for the prosperity of the community. From the second day the dance proper are performed at a particular place called Madan Duwan-Lyngdoh where huts have been made with bamboo and grass. The villagers assemble there and the dance begins. Both men and women participate in the dance. The dancers stand in a line putting their hands on the shoulders of the nearby dancers. At both the ends of the line, two men dance holding a shield made of Rhino skin. The dance is performed in memory of the legendary heroes who fought and defeated the enemies. The most fascinating feature of their costume is the headgear which is decorated by two long feathers of the tail of Rynnaiw, a black bird with a long tail. These two feathers are a must. To further decorate the head-gear, feathers of other birds like peacock are also used. The musical accompaniment is provided by the native drums, flutes, and cymbals