100 Drums Wangala festival
TURA: The hundred drums Wangala festival at Asananggre village, near Tura, witnessed one of the largest gatherings of people, this year, encouraging tourism flow in a big way with dozens of Indian and foreign nationals converging in Garo Hills to witness the annual and colourful post harvest celebration.
This year’s celebration witnessed a grand finale on Saturday as a host of events including traditional culinary skills by local chefs, traditional games of sportsmanship where muscle and brawn proved to be winners and the ultimate prize of walking off with the prized trophy of victory in the one hundred drums event.
This year there several dozen tour operators who took part in the celebrations ferrying in hundreds of tourists and thereby giving a colorful showcase to the festival.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma was the chief guest on the final day of the celebrations where the honours for the best Wangala contingent went to Sadolpara troupe.
The chief minister in his inaugural speech at the start of the final show spoke on the importance of peace and encouragement of traditional and cultural values.
Dr Sangma also handed a sum of over Rs 19 lakh to the Wangala Committee.
The Wangala festival this year witnessed a series of colorful events that included special food competitions where in local chefs displayed their culinary skills in traditional cooking through bamboos and banana leaves.
There was also hosting of traditional indigenous games that included arm wrestling and lifting of heavy boulders, among others.
The Wangala festival has helped in bringing a semblance of normalcy and active participation of the people into a region which has witnessed much bloodshed due to militancy and killings.