Dr. Natalie Jo-Anne Diengdoh, Department of Cultural and Creative Studies, North-Eastern Hill University, gave a descriptive presentation on the naming ceremony performed in the Khasi community, and the different rituals associated with. A name is important to identify an individual from the rest of the populace. As every individual is addressed by a personal name, in times of ill health, for blessings or life in general, prayers are conducted in the respective names. Therefore, it is imperative that an individual should be recognised and respected by a name for which God’s, Ka Ïawbei’s (ancestress) and U Thawlang’s (ancestor) accord and recognition should be obtained.

It has been observed that in recent times, the clan based Ka Jer Ka Thoh (naming ceremony) is about traditional performance and flamboyance. It is necessary to document the ceremony to acquaint the future generations and the world at large, with Ka Jer Ka Thoh and its significance. The ‘return of religion’ has moved it from the private sphere of personal belief, to the public sphere of visual communication. Today, when the television transmits the stories on which our society is based, media should focus their lenses on the importance and significance of the ceremony, rather than exoticising it.