This Indian 'whistling village' has musical tunes as people's names: How to visit?

Kerala natives of Thrissur often speak Malayalam with their signature sing-song intonation. Africa also has a language with distinctive click consonants. However, do you know that India's North-Eastern state of Meghalaya has a picturesque village, where people call each other using sweet whistling sounds? The village of Kongthong in the East Khasi Hills in the state is known for its unique cultural heritage. The villagers here communicate through melodies or sweet whistling sounds, and the name of the tradition is 'Jingrwai lawbei.' 

Each person has a unique whistle or tune as his /her identity, composed by their mother at the time of birth. This splendid tradition, which is centuries old, is still followed by the villagers. Traveller Anu Sharma’s video, posted from India’s whistling village, has now gone viral on the internet. In the video, Anu asks a woman what her name is, and the woman replies by whistling a tune. The rhythm or the tune of her whistle is, in fact, her name.

Anu explains that every person in this village has a unique melody as their name. The mothers lovingly give these beautiful names at the time of birth. Kongthong is a village with a population of over 700. Each person in the town has a unique tune associated with their name. The villagers whistle these melodies to call each other. 

What does Jingrwai lawbei mean?
Jingrwai lawbei means the song of the first tribal Goddess. Most tribal communities in the North Eastern states follow the matrilineal system, in which mothers are revered as prominent figures. So, this cultural practice highlights the matrilineal tradition of the Kongthong village. 

In fact, the villagers usually have not one but three names. The names given by their mothers are pretty long and musical. So, later, the child will be addressed using a smaller tune. Besides, there will also be a third name, which is mostly used as their official name. The longer names are for tunes up to 30 seconds, while the shorter ones are for those under 10 seconds. Although there are hundreds of such tunes in the village, each one is distinct and hardly repeats. It is a typical Indian practice to name a child after an ancestor; however, in Kongthong, the tune of a dead person will not be used again. 

An award-winning village
The Ministry of Tourism nominated Kongthong for the best tourism-friendly village award, organised by the UN World Tourism Organisation, in 2021. So, the village, known as the Whistling Village, drew significant global attention, and tourists began pouring into this tranquil spot. Interestingly, broom-making is the villagers’ most prominent activity, making Kongthong the largest producer of brooms in Meghalaya. The villagers offer accommodation in their traditional Khasi huts to tourists keen to experience the unique culture and lifestyle of the villagers. 

Here's how to reach
The nearest airport is in Shillong, about 79 kilometres away. Meanwhile, Guwahati airport is 168 kilometres from Kongthong. If you decide to take the train, Guwahati railway station, 145 kilometres away, is the nearest station.