There is a beautiful place in the eastern part of India which is unique for its culture. Kongthong, a quaint village less heard of, lies in Meghalaya and has a one-of-a-kind way of calling the members of its community – by whistling. The village of Kongthong offers interesting trek routes around and while here, you can also indulge in fishing angling and camping. So, if you are tired of visiting the same old places and wish to travel to those unexplored locations of India, head to Kongthong and get awestruck by the beauty and unique culture of this quaint little village.
Every child is identified by a unique lullaby
In the serene village of Kongthong, while a baby is in its mother’s womb, the mother hums a lullaby on a regular basis and continues to do so when the baby is born. Being surrounded by the lullaby on a regular basis, the baby gets accustomed to it and begins to identify with it. This lullaby, known as ‘Jingrwei Lawbei’ soon becomes a unique identity for that child and is used to call her/him. Therefore, instead of a name, every kid grows up with a lullaby as his identity or as you may call it, his name.
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Every lullaby is different from the other and might be sound of bird-calls
The lullaby is unique to each and every individual and is never repeated. It may have some parts of similarity with other lullabies, however, differs as a whole. The full lullaby may even last for half a minute and is often used to call out a person in the jungle. The shorter version of the lullaby becomes the name and may last for around 5-6 seconds and may also be inspired by a Bollywood song! However, mostly the tunes of lullabies are sound bird-calls.
The village has a population of around 700 which engages in honey production
The tradition of whistling to call out for people has been going on for generations in this village inhabiting around 700 people living in tiny huts surrounded by betel nut trees. The village’s main source of income is its honey production which is owned by the state and is recognised nationally ad internationally. The villagers of this picturesque countryside make their living by cultivating the land and hunting in the nearby forests.
Even warnings to each other are given through whistles
Whenever a mother has to call out a child, she would whistle that child’s ‘Jingrwei Lawbei’ and not the official name. This tradition proves to be a real weapon during hunting expeditions or if being attacked, as instead of calling each other’s names, the villagers only blow out whistles to call out/ warn each other of an impending danger.
#WATCH Villagers in #Meghalaya‘s Kongthong use unique tunes, a hum to communicate or call out to each other instead of using names. Villager says, “Mothers devise unique tunes to call out their children, these tunes are used instead of names. Each tune is specific to a person.” pic.twitter.com/NpsmtVDAQD
— ANI (@ANI) September 25, 2018
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The unique whistle or lullaby dies with the person to whom it belongs
The whistling tune of a person does not live forever and dies with that person. After the person’s death, the tune is not given to any other baby which is to be born.
The origin of this whistling tradition dates to the times when the villagers believed that there were unseen spirits in the surrounding forests, many generations ago. They believed that if those spirits heard anyone’s name being called out, bad omen will befall that person and s/he would fall ill. Therefore, the lullaby was created as a way to protect everyone from spirits around.
Girls choose their husbands based on the tune of their whistle
This tradition has another crucial importance in the lives of the villagers as it forms the basis of relationships when the children grow up to become adults. As per the culture followed in this village, there is a marriage ritual held every summer during full moon nights. During this ritual, the prospective grooms whistle their respective tunes that are specific to them. The bride picks the one that man whose whistling tune she likes the most in order to get married.
Whistling sound travels farther in mountains than proper words
In fact, the tradition of whistling to call out people goes a long way in ensuring that the callers are heard. The sounds of names often get fizzled out in mountainous regions or forested areas or are often echoed and get muzzled. However, whistles are sharper and longer than the words an therefore, are heard more easily.
Tourists can visit this village to experience and learn whistling
In the recent times, owing to its uniqueness, the tourism department set up a homestay facility in this village to boost its tourism. The homestay is known as the ‘Traveller’s Nest’ and is located around 56 kms from Shillong City.
However, very few of us know that there is one more village where such a tradition has lived on for generations. This mountainous village is located on Turkey’s Black Sea coast and the people of the community here call out for each other using whistled and ear-splitting.
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