Kongthong
Kongthong is a remote village in Meghalaya's East Khasi hills. The village attained fame some years ago for its unique tradition of mothers giving newborns names that are composed of whistled tunes. Each villager grows up with three names: a regular name, a long melody and a shorter tune that resembles a nickname.
Called 'jingrwai iawbei', it is a centuries-old tradition. The regular name is only for official purposes but everyone responds to the two other tunes lifelong! When they die, their tunes die with them, never to be repeated for anyone else.
The tunes are considered an untaught and spontaneous expression of a mother's joy at the birth of her child. The tune names are usually 14 to 18 seconds long and distinct from each other.
