#kongthong

[gwydionmisha]

In This Remote Indian Village, Names Are Sung—Not Spoken

Following ancient matrilineal custom, Kongthong residents traditionally don't use words for names—they use song.

[thoughtlessarse]

Inside India’s whistling village of Kongthong, where every resident is known by a unique song

Nestled in the lap of lush green hills and surrounded by a verdant forest, Kongthong sits in the East Khasi hills in the district of Meghala

In Kongthong, a remote village in north-east India, the peace and sound of chirping birds offer welcome relief from the hustle and bustle of city life. But it is not just the birds that have their own songs, the villagers do too.

Kongthong is known as the “whistling village” because of its inhabitants’ unique tradition of assigning both a regular name and a tune to newborns. The melody stays and dies with them. Nestled in the lap of lush green hills and surrounded by a verdant forest, Kongthong sits in the East Khasi hills in the district of Meghalaya, around 60 kilometres from state capital Shillong.

It has around 80 households and 900 inhabitants who speak the Khasi language and rely on farming for their livelihoods. The village has hardly any concrete buildings but huts made of wood collected from the forest. During chilly winters, snow sometimes envelops the roofs of the houses, and the families make bonfires inside to keep themselves warm.

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