TURA: Thousands of Christians congregated at Karukol near Siju braving the Sunday morning chill and bad road condition to take part in the 143rd annual A’chik Baptist Dalgipa Sobha held for the last time in South Garo Hills.
Close to 2 lakh devotees from far corners of Garo Hills and the North East, including Tripura, Nagaland, Karbi Anglong and other parts of Assam, attended the religious gathering. It was a five-day religious meet that began on February 8 and concluded on Sunday.
Dignitaries, including political leaders, were also there to attend the Sunday service and prominent among those present included Tura Lok Sabha MP Conrad K. Sangma and his wife, GHADC CEM Denang T. Sangma and other MDCs, state legislators Samuel M. Sangma, Sengnam Marak and Rophul S. Marak.
The Tura MP was welcomed by the president of the Garo Baptist Convention, Rodrick D Shira.
“It was a beatific experience to be a part of such a large association of faithful,” said Conrad after the service.
One of the foreign dignitaries who stood out in the crowd was Paul Morton from the Valley-view Baptist Church in West Virginia in the US. He has been attending the annual Sobha for the last 12 years. Morton first took part in the Sobha at Adokgre over a decade ago.
The keynote address at the service was given by Rev. Alpha Sengba G. Marak, executive secretary of Krima 1 that covers Nishangram, Resubelpara, Mendipathar and Bajengdoba Baptist church.
Despite the road congestion and the extremely huge traffic on the Nangalbibra-Siju-Baghmara route, no major mishaps occurred during the five-day religious event. In 2018 and 2019, the annual Sobha will take place at Rajasimla and Tura before it shifts to the permanent site at Balupara in Babadam area of Dadenggre region in West Garo Hills.
