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Updated February 21st, 2023 at 14:50 IST

Heard of ‘whistling village’ nestled amidst hills? Here is nation’s most quirky Village

The villagers address each other with a distinctive tune, which they call 'Jingrwai Iawbei.’

Reported by: Simran Singh
Jipson Sohkhlet
The village of Kongthong (Image: ANI) | Image:self
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In the lush, rolling hills of the northeastern state of Meghalaya, East Khasi Hills district, 60 kilometres from the capital city Shillong, lies the most distinctive village of the nation, Kongthong.

Whistles and chirrups' rhythm reverb the hill 

Curious whistles and chirrups echo through the jungle around the "whistling village." People in Kongthong do not use words nor a gestural approach to communicate but instead, use one of the most quirky ways of "whistling."

The villagers address each other with a distinctive tune, which they call 'Jingrwai Iawbei.’ The term Jingrwai Iawbei’ refers to a tune sung in honour of the clan's first mother or root ancestor (iawbei).

Tucked away in the lush East Khasi Hills in far-flung northeast India, Kongthong is accessible by a three-hour drive from Shillong, the state capital.

Image credit: twitter/@PNJoshiACM

Encircled by high peaks and utterly deep gorges, Kongthong is sparsely populated. In a very unique tradition, every child is assigned a regular name (for official documentation) and a distinct melodious tune (to be addressed by the villagers).

The old mountain trekking trail to Kongthong was replaced with a road in 2014, and a homestay in the village was constructed in the traditional manner using local resources like bamboo. Since then, a gradual trickle of visitors from all over India have passed through the village. It was nominated for the Best Tourism Village Award in UNWTO in September, which identifies "villages taking innovative and transformative approaches to tourism in rural areas in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.”

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Published February 21st, 2023 at 10:58 IST

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