The rah moo khrah, one of the oldest games of the Jaintia , is more of a test of strength than speed.
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement
GUWAHATI: Some athletes in Meghalaya’s Jaintia Hills region don’t just race. They try to outpace each other while holding a rounded stone that can weigh up to 138 kg.
The rah moo khrah , one of the oldest indigenous games of the Jaintia community, is more of a test of strength than speed. It entails not letting an oval stone weighing anywhere between 24.4 kg and 138.1 kg drop while dashing for the finishing line 25 metres away.
In the olden days, the winner had to be content with the title of ‘Ki Mar’ acknowledging him as the strongest person around the area where the contest used to be organisation.
On Friday, the top three finishers in the rah moo khrah received medals from the organisers of the 6th Meghalaya Games 2025 organised at the Dulong Football Playground in Jowai, the headquarters of the West Jaintia Hills district. The six-day games, the State’s biggest sporting event involving 3,500 athletes across 29 disciplines, ends January 25.
The rah moo khrah was one of three indigenous games showcased at the event apart from the 29 standard disciplines. The other two are m awpoiń of the Khasi community and an·ding oka of the Garos.
Mawpoiń involves two teams alternately playing as chasers and builders ( nongtiemaw ). “The builders are required to arrange or build a stack of stones while the chasers try to hit the builders below the neck, which results in their elimination. The team with the most stones arranged and builders eliminated is declared the winner,” said Sienma Tato, the competition manager of the traditional sports at the 6th Meghalaya Games.
In An·ding oka , the participants from different parts of the Garo Hills region, seated with their legs stretched together, pull a bamboo pole. “The one who manages to pull the pole is the winner,” he said.
Published – January 25, 2025 09:31 am IST
