A Glimpse Inside The ‘Primitive’ Village Where Little Girls Are Worshipped


In northeastern India, deep in the jungles, is the small village of Mawlynnong which has a very unconventional social hierarchy. The village is home to the indigenous Khasi tribe, who still abide by ancient traditions which mean that power, property and money are passed from the mother to the daughter rather than from father to son.

Berlin-based photographer, Karolin Klüppel, wished to document this place this place where little girls rule over men. Over the course of two years she spent 9 months living within different families within the tribe.

Within the tribal culture, the youngest daughter, (known as khadduh) inherits property and wealth, kids take their mother’s surname, and husbands are expected to live in the home of their wife once they are married.

little girls
Anisha Nongrum, seven, wears a headdress of areca seeds, used in a chew called kwai.

 

little girls
To make Khasi tradition visible, Klüppel “created portraits as a reference or allusion to the girls’ surroundings and culture.” That means a fish-drying device could be a necklace for Grace Tangsong, seven.

 

little girls
The eldest of three siblings, Phida Nongrum, nine, plays with a balloon in her bedroom. One day her sister Anisha will be head of their household.

 

little girls
Ibapyntngen Khongjee, eight, hides in a mosquito net. Klüppel says these “powerful, self-assured” girls must often act responsibly. But “in their free time, they’re children who jump in rivers, catch fish, run, scream, and get dirty.”

 

little girls
Beslinda Khongdup, 12, reaches down to grasp cow legs, which Khasis sometimes use in soup. Most Indians are Hindu, but the villagers in Mawlynnong are Christians and therefore may eat beef.

 

The little girls attend the local village school until they reach their teens, although at the age of 11 or 12, some of them will move to the capital of the state to continue their education. The young women will then either go on to study at college or return to the village, to look after their parents. The women have complete freedom when it comes to choosing if to marry and there isn’t any stigma if women choose to stay single or get divorced.

However, the tribal social system can mean that not having a daughter in your family can cause problems, as only females can ensure the continuity of a family. Families without girls are called ïap-duh, which means extinct.

Customs such as these have existed for hundreds, if not thousands of years and although today men might lead the village council, it is still rare for them to own any property of their own.

Klüppel explained what motivated her to take the series of photos, “I want everyone to know about cultures that are different from the patriarchal world we live in—and I want people to question that system.”

 

Image via: National Geographic