SHILLONG, Nov 24 � The annual year ending festival of the indigenous Khasi faith and culture � Seng Kut Snem � was yesterday celebrated here with great fanfare.
People of all ages and gender, dressed in their finest traditional outfits, took part in the celebrations. Earlier in the day, a colourful procession was taken out through the city with tableaux depicting the different facades of the indigenous culture and faith.
The Seng Kut Snem is a festival that is observed to mark the Seng Khasi movement. This celebration is a form of community prayer for protection of the distinct identity of the Khasi race.
During the British rule, continued assault on the indigenous faith and culture of the Khasis and Jaintias led sixteen young men to form an organisation called the Khasi Young Men�s Association on November 23, 1899 to preserve and safeguard the indigenous way of life also known as Niam Trai Niam Tre.
A year later, the Khasi Young Men�s Association celebrated its first anniversary and called it Seng Kut Snem and the occasion is celebrated every year since then to commemorate that movement. In 1901 the association was renamed Seng Khasi. This year the festivities marked the 114th anniversary of the Seng Khasi Movement.
