Rhythm of the Hills concludes with grand finale
AMPATI: Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on Saturday showed off the new shirt he wore made from an indigenous fibre from Garo Hills to drive home the point that there is a need to tap natural fibers.
During his address on the concluding day of Rhythm of the Hills, a festival held at Betasing, South West Garo Hills on Saturday, the Chief Minister showed off the shirt for the event before the gathering and told them that it was made from the fabric woven from Ramie fibre which said to be the strongest natural fibre.
Ramie is indigenous to Garo Hills region and it may be recalled that the Chief Minister had launched a programme last year to promote Ramie cultivation among the farmers along with Agar and Bamboo plantation in the State.
After various dance forms were performed on the occasion, the Chief Minister urged the participants to raise the standard of their performance to take the festival to a higher level. “Every performer should excel in their respective roles, amplify their efforts and build up on their professionalism, so that we can create stories about our tribes and spark interest among the people across the globe”, he said.
He also said that this kind of programme would help to bring out the hidden talents of young boys and girls and help them to excel in a particular art other than the conventional studies.
Highlighting the efforts of the government to promote the diverse culture and traditions of the people of the State through such festivals, the Chief Minister stressed the need to promote the exclusivity of every tribe and every part of the State.
Various tribes of Meghalaya blended their culture, dance and music as they came together for the grand finale of the three-day cultural extravaganza. The Khasi, Biate, Kuki, Boro, Rabha and Ruga dancers from various parts of the State joined the Garos, Koches and Hajongs of South West Garo Hills dancing in unison to the catchy theme song “Krimkro” enthralling the audience that assembled at the venue on the concluding day of the festival.
Chief Minister , Minister for Arts & Culture, Clement Marak, Minister for Sports & Youth Affairs, Zenith Sangma, Parliamentary Secretary, Ashahel D. Shira, Director of Arts & Culture, M. War-Nongbri and other dignitaries including the MDCs and district officials all stood up and cheered as the tribes came together for the final dance.
Other highlights of the day were the traditional attire and designer show on the evolution of the Garo Dakmanda and a rock concert with performance from bands like Riprap and Titans. On the second day of the festival, events like cooking competition cum food festival, traditional games & sports, traditional instruments and fancy dress competitions were held besides the Wangala competition.