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FESTIVAL CALENDAR · MEGHALAYA · 004

Festivals in Meghalaya.

4 festivals across Meghalaya — organised by month.

Dates vary

Monolith Festival

Mawphlang

Three-day festival held at Mawphlang Sacred Groves celebrating Khasi heritage, culture, and the ancient stone monoliths ('mawbynnas') that mark spiritual points in the forest. The festival features soulful and mesmerizing music, traditional Khasi rituals, and cultural performances. The Mawphlang Sacred Forest itself dates back over 800 years and is the oldest and largest sacred forest for the Khasi tribes.

November

Wangala (100 Drums Festival)

Tura

100 drums played simultaneously as the Garo tribe celebrates the post-harvest season. Horn-blowing, mass tribal dance, and a rhythm that shakes the hills.

Nongkrem Dance

Shillong

The most important Khasi festival — men in feathered headdresses and swords, women draped in gold silk, goat sacrifice, and five days of thanksgiving to the goddess Ka Blei Synshar.

Cherry Blossom Festival

Shillong

India's only cherry blossom festival — Shillong's streets turn pink as Prunus cerasoides bloom. Live music, photography walks, food stalls, and a Japan-like aesthetic in the hills.

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