Early blooms lead to festival dilemma

SHILLONG: Mother Nature is being mischievous with the organisers of the state’s cherry blossom festival though without any malicious intention. But her unpredictable ways have put the state government and other stakeholders in a fix.
While last year the previous MUA-II government was left red-faced as the pink and white blooms refused to appear during the festival organised on November 8-11.
So this year, the cherry blossoms thought of an early visit, probably to help the new government save some embarrassment.
However, the organisers have scheduled the festival from November 14 for four days claiming that the flowering will last till mid-November. It is yet to be seen whether the flowers can hold on till that time.
Had the festival been organised at the same time like last year, it would have been a perfect show of colours.
A senior official with the Tourism Department said nature’s course cannot be predicted and hence visitors have to live this reality. “We hope that the flowers will still be there,” the official said.
Though the state is facing financial crunch, the official added that since it is an annual event, the government is trying to promote it with assistance from other stakeholders.
With Shillong witnessing an early advent of winter, the blossoms too are early. Trees in different parts of the city are smiling with the pink and white blooms.
A team of scientists and research scholars of the Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD) led by its director Dinabandhu Sahoo has been travelling extensively across Khasi Hills to study the onset of flowering of the Himalayan Cherry in a lead up to the India International Cherry Blossom Festival 2018.
This scientific delegation has reported that cherry blossoms have already started blooming on some trees in the higher altitude and these will be in full bloom by next week.
Sahoo, who is also leading a research group on cherry blossoms in India, said Japanese researchers from Tokyo University have shown keen interest to collaborate with IBSD and will visit Shillong during the festival.
However, most of the cherry trees in and around Shillong are now at the budding stage and the flowering is expected to start next week and the full bloom is expected around November 14-17, he said in a statement.
Prof Sahoo, also mentioned that the cherry blossoms are an excellent indicator of not only the change of seasons but also climate change.