By Rajni Pandey | June 28, 2024
Kongthong village is located in the East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya, about 60 km from Shillong, and is renowned for its unique naming tradition.
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In Kongthong Village, residents are called by distinct melodies instead of regular names, a practice that has given the village its nickname, 'Whistling Village.'
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The villagers refer to these melodic names as 'Jingrwai Lawbei,' meaning 'mother's love song,' highlighting the deep personal and cultural significance of each tune.
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Every villager has two names: a regular name and a song name. The song name includes a short tune used at home and a long tune used for communicating over distances.
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With approximately 700 residents, Kongthong features 700 unique tunes, each created by the mother after the birth of her child.
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These melodies are practical, allowing villagers to communicate across the hills and fields, where sounds travel better than words.
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When a villager dies, their unique tune dies with them, never to be used again, underscoring the personal connection and respect for each individual's melody.
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This unique practice is spreading, with people from other villages in Meghalaya beginning to adopt Kongthong's whistling tradition.
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