Exploring the Monumentality of Khasi-Jaintia Hills Megaliths

Abstract

To the Khasi-Pnar community, who are considered to be the authochthons of the Khasi-Jaintia hills of Meghalaya in northeastern India, the importance of their megalithic monuments is evident in their language itself, since the word “Kyn-maw” or “memory” derives from the word “Maw” or “stone.” The present paper deals with the general understanding of the megalithic monuments from these hills where the practice of erecting such monuments is a living tradition. The paper presents a summary of the functions and role of the megalithic monuments found in every nook and corner of the Khasi-Jaintia hills landscape and provides a close examination of the clan cists which are directly connected with the funerary practice of the people and their significance in the entire megalithic tradition.