People in the village of Kongthong in Meghalaya state do not call each other by regular names, but by a special song
Posted Date – Fri 02 Jun 23 at 04:32pm
Hyderabad: India has many interesting places to visit and the village of Kongthong in Meghalaya must not be missed. Why do you ask? Well, that’s because in this unique place, people don’t have a fixed name, but call each other with a special tune, which is why the area is called “Whistling Village” or “Singing Village”.
It is said that each has its own unique tune. The village is located about 60 kilometers away from Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya, in the mountains of East Khasi. Villagers also use whistles as a way of conveying messages to villagers.
There are two versions of the title of the song – long song and short song. Tanka is usually used at home. The villagers call this piece “Jing’er Wai Lao Bei”, which means mother’s love song. The songs were reportedly composed by mothers after their children were born.
There are about 700 people in the village, so there are 700 tunes. If any villager dies, that person’s tune dies with it. This tradition is passed down from generation to generation in the village and is said to facilitate long-distance communication between locals.
Isn’t it surprising that the villagers have kept this tradition alive for so many years?
In 2022, the Ministry of Tourism selected Kongthong Village, along with two other villages in the country, for the United Nations World Tourism Organization (WTO)’s “Best Tourism Village” award.
