Around 5000 women from the Konyak community perform a traditional dance in an attempt to enter the Guinness World Record on Largest Traditional Konyak Dance display at Mon town local ground on Friday, April 5. (Morung Photo)
Morung Express News
Mon | April 5
The local ground at Mon town on Friday reverberated with a thousand melody as around 5000 women from the Konyak community, all decked in colorful traditional attires, danced and chanted a ceremonial song in an attempt to enter in the Guinness World Record (GWR) on Largest Traditional Konyak Dance display.
Not an easy task to accomplish, as the performance had to be choreographed and synchronized which required weeks of practice, the result was nothing less than spectacular.
In mesmerizing synchrony, the women folks, graciously moved to a poignant hymn invoking blessings upon the community, people, fields and crops and their natural surrounding while welcoming the harvest season.
Performed together by young and old alike, some as young as 13 years to many in their 50s, the sight fueled the festive mood with a feeling of solidarity and unity. The performance lasted for five minutes and one second. Long after the performance, the poignant melody still lingered.
A member of the organizing committee told The Morung Express correspondent that the idea for a GWR attempt had been on the cards since 2006 while adding that the idea to engage women for the attempt was unique and just about the right thing.
Friday’s GWR attempt was also made possible through the 11 wards in Mon town that brought together women to represent more than 115 Konyak villages in Mon district. The women had been perfecting the dance for close to a month.
One of the participants, who also happen to be a president of her ward, said she assembled more than 400 women from her ward and villages for the dance. The women had been practicing regularly in their own wards.
An elderly resident of Mon town observed that crowd attendance on Friday has been one of the highest witnessed so far with locals coming from Mon town and villages far and wide to witness the event.
Two witnesses, one from North East Zone Cultural Centre (NEZCC), Veswiizo Phesao and Performing Arts With Fitness (PAWF) proprietor Talitemjen along with observers- six from the Core Conxept team, New Delhi and four technicians oversaw the record attempt on behalf of the GWR.
It was learnt that the GWR official adjudicators could not make it to the event in the last minute due to ‘security reasons.’ The results on the performance would be announced in 12 hours to five days time, a member of the organizing committee informed.
The activity also marked Women’s Day and the end of the three-day celebration of the Aoleang- cum -Mini Hornbill Festival, which was observed on the theme 'Empowering Women for Cultural Heritage.'
The event was organised by the Konyak Union in coordination with the Konyak Nyupuh Sheko Khong (KNSK) and Konyak Students’ Union (KSU).
