By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Amidst opposition from certain NGOs and political parties including church bodies over holding of festivities on Sundays, thousands of people flocked to the Umiam Lake on the concluding of the Shillong Autumn Festival on Sunday.
The attendance was one of the biggest-ever for a concluding day of the annual Festival. Though the day was reserved as a ‘family day’, majority of those who attended the Festival belonged to the young age group.
Children, accompanied by their parents, had a gala time with the MTDF putting up various events to entertain the young ones like magic show, kite flying and boating.
Unique performances by the North Central Zone Cultural Centre, with the participation of 103 dancers from Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar was a highlight.
Besides, there were arrangement for adventure sports, fashion and music. Visitors witnessed acro flights by ace Para gliders from France. A fashion show by eminent designers and models of the North East was held which included the likes of Bonney Darrang from Arunachal Pradesh, Nandini from Assam, Daisy Momin from Tura and Keds from Nagaland.
MDTF volunteers resorted to frisking visitors at the entrance gate to prevent anyone from entering the venue with under the influence of liquor.
The volunteers prevented many youths from enter the venue as they were intoxicated. There was also no sale of liquor at the venue.
