URA: The ‘Ahaia Winter Festival 2014’ with the theme ‘Celebrating Life!’ is all set to take Tura by storm and usher in pre-Christmas festivities beginning December 16.
The four-day winter festival scheduled from December 16-19 shall be organized this year at MP Stadium, Dakopgre. However, this will be the last time the winter festival is celebrated as ‘Ahaia’ as the name shall be changed next year on demands of senior citizens and art and culture intellectuals.
It has been decided that all proceeds from sponsorship of Ahaia 2014 will be donated to the Chief Ministers Relief Fund.
Thus, this final version of Ahaia -2014 shall bid adieu to the much loved and celebrated franchise Ahaia which has emerged as a major brand.
The festival shall kick-start on December 16 with a carnival with several NGOs, art and culture clubs, localities, organizations, institutions and government departments participating to make the event colourful and meaningful.
There will be a retro musical night the same evening where celebrated singers of yesteryears will croon melodious versions of popular numbers.
This time rock and roll groups and local youth bands have also been co-opted to revive and re-construct the magic of celebrated Achik blockbuster songs and other popular heart warming renditions.
The winter beauty pageant Tura Teen Queen on December 17 will witness a tough claim for the coveted crown of beauty and brains as sensational and intelligent beauties of Tura and other towns compete for the top honours and the vaunted crown.
A high point of the celebration shall be an Art and Culture sponsored Fashion Show on December 18 evening where three top designers from New Delhi will present their collection.
For this the organizers are partnering with some designers from Garo Hills in collaboration with the Directorate of Handloom and Weaving.
The grand finale will be a high octane and yet meaningful Peace Concert which celebrates the indomitable spirit of people of Garo Hills and hail the peace process.
A popular band from Bangalore is scheduled to arrive at the festival and along with local bands promise to put up a stellar performance during the festival.
The organizers namely district administration and Tura Arts and Culture Society under the Directorate of Arts and Culture and Meghalaya Tourism shall celebrate the positive signs emerging in the region with the signing of peace pact and shall propagate the message of peace, reconciliation, forgiveness and unity.
The Ahaia Winter Festival shall be followed by a two day festival in DC Park on 20th and 21st December with new promising bands putting up shows on two musical evenings, food stalls, competitions and events for children and ‘Song Kristan’ which as a tradition will be revived.
