Meghalaya's annual 'Midnight Swim' in ice-cold pool marks 27th year of tradition
Organised by Forever Young club, the event has become a ritual in the state, with eight tonnes of ice dumped in the Crinoline swimming pool.;
Ice pool challenge (AT image)
Shillong, Jan 2: This is an audacious activity that has now become an annual event on the Meghalaya calendar in the festive season. The 'midnight swim' in a pool filled with ice blocks before the dawn of the New Year's Day is a formidable task in a State that remains cold all through the year and gets colder in the winter months.
The New Year's Day eve 'ritual' has entered its 27th year in 2025. Those who take the dip in the 'ice-cold' pool claim that it rejuvenates their soul and body in some "strange way".
Forever Young, the club that organises the challenging event every year, dropped eight tonnes of ice blocks in the Crinoline Swimming Pool in the heart of the Meghalaya capital this time around. One block of ice weighed 50 kg. "In all, we dumped eight tonnes of ice in the swimming pool," Michael Syiem, president of Forever Young, said.
Syiem, aged 69, who himself takes the challenge, says that the dip in the freezing cold water over the years, has steeled his resolve to remain fit both mentally and physically.
A strict disciplinarian, Syiem has ensured that others who dare to participate in the activity, are not under the influence of liquor or any intoxicating substance. The mandatory condition is that nobody should be intoxicated while taking a plunge in the freezing waters, he stressed.
The Forever Young president claims that taking a dip in the pool at this time of the season "activates the cells of the body". It has also a profound impact on the mind that only can be experienced, not expressed in words, he added.
This midnight ritual practised in Meghalaya, is akin to the Japanese Shinto tradition of 'misogi' (immersing in cold water), which is believed to purify the mind and body. There are claims that such cold water baths help improve blood circulation, fight depression, and build mental strength. But such claims need validation from the scientific community. There is need to exercise caution as it may prove counter-productive.
"We do it for fun and recreation and of course, as a re- solve to prepare ourselves to face the challenges in the days ahead," Syiem said of the midnight swim that will definitely give even the most determined "the shivers", practically.
By Raju Das
