Wangala festival kicks off with eco run, indigenous slow food competition

TURA: The annual   100 Hundred  Drums Wangala  Festival began with the first ever Wangala Eco Run (10 km marathon) on Thursday with Asanang playground as the starting point and Selbalgre as the turning point and back to the playground.
The eco run was organised by the 100 Drums Wangala Committee in collaboration with Tura Runners Club and District Sports Office, Tura and co-sponsored by ICFAI University and Tura Urban Co-operative Bank Limited.
Chief Executive Member of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC), Dipul R Marak inaugurated the Annual District Level Industrial Exhibition which is also being held simultaneously during this three-day festival.
While addressing the gathering Marak said that the people of the region have various inborn talents of making furniture and other products from cane and bamboo, sculpting, weaving etc, and therefore, urged all the local entrepreneurs to showcase their talents and exhibit their local products at the festival. He said that at a time when government jobs are saturated, the youth of the region can opt and promote entrepreneurship in the region.
As part of the three-day Wangala festival the Master Chef Wangala Festival cum Indigenous Slow Food  competition known as Brenga  (which is cooked in bamboo tubes) and We’”tepa  (Steamed on low fire by wrapping with banana leaves) was also held.
It may be mentioned that Wangala, the most significant post harvest festival of the Garos is generally held in the second week of November every year.
It is a Thanksgiving ceremony to Misi Saljong also known as Pattigipa Ra’”rongipa (The Great Giver) for having blessed the people with rich harvest of the season.
The Hundred Drums  Wangala festival which was started in the year 1976 at Asanang, the Headquarters of Rongram Development Block near Tura has grown over the years under the patronage of the Government of Meghalaya and nurtured by festival organisation.
An inter-locality tug-of-war was also held in which Rongkhon Sports Association emerged winner and MLP Battalion Goeragre were the runners-up.
In the run, Batsrang A Sangma from Tebrongre was the winner in men’s category while Jamsingstar Ramsiej and Stilin Jyrwa from Mawkyrwat, South West Khasi Hills bagged second and third respectively.
In the women’s category, Dateibankynmaw Marwein, Bandasharai Marwein from Mawkyrwat and Unity Sna from Mupliang bagged the 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively.
The oldest participant (Men) is Greden W Marak, 67 years, while oldest participant (female) is Dorothy M Marak, 50 years.