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The Nongkrem Dance Festival
The Syiem priestess, or Queen, (center) with red silk umbrella, is revered at the Nongkrem dance festival, an annual event held to thank the gods and ward off evil disasters. The priestess, who is in fact the King's sister -- she took over as priestess after their mother's death -- is important because according to the matrilineal system of the Khasi tribespeople, her son will inherit the title of King.
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