GH gears up for A’chik Baptist Dalgipa Soba; over 3 lakh faithful to throng Tura

TURA: The district headquarters is all set to host the largest ever religious gathering in the history of Garo Hills, the 145 A’chik Baptist Dalgipa Soba, organised by the Garo Baptist Convention.
The congregation will be at Dikki-Bandi Stadium in Tura from February 6-10.
Over 3 lakh Christian devotees and 2,500 delegates from across Meghalaya and other northeastern states and even from abroad are expected to participate in the five-day religious gathering which will culminate in a special Sunday church service.
Tura is hosting the Soba for the first and only time before the annual religious festival moves to its permanent site at Balupara in Babadam area of West Garo Hills.
The A’chik Baptist Krima No. IV (Tura) of ABDK, which is hosting this historic event, is making elaborate preparations with active support from the state government and the West Garo Hills district administration.
National Director of the Far East Broadcasting Associate (FEBA) Rev. Christian Abraham Benjamin and Rev Terence William Wanshong of Shillong will be among the speakers.
In another first, the Sunday morning service will be telecast live on news channel CNN News 18.
The church service will be beamed live from the stadium into giant screens set up at the Tura mission compound field and the Tura police parade ground in the main market area.
Carnival spirit
The gathering or ‘Soba’ as it is called has added a carnival like spirit to the usual quiet town of Tura.
Entire localities across the town have been spruced up for this mega religious event with citizens engaged in cleaning drives, whitewashing walls and decking up road sides with flowers adding colour and sparkle. Even shopkeepers have been busy putting a fresh coat of paint on their shops.
The state government has directed its various departments to ensure all possible assistance.
The chief minister has held a series of meetings with government officials and departmental heads in Tura. Tura’s roads have new tarmac, potholes have disappeared and culverts are painted, streets which usually remain dark have been illuminated.
The district administration has decided to use drones to monitor the flow of traffic and update police.