Tura, Oct 11: The 2nd edition of the ‘Me’gong Festival’, sponsored by the Meghalaya Government, is set to take place this year from December 1 to 3 at the still to be functional Jengjal Airport, located along NH-51, about 32 kilometres from Tura.
The Me’gong Festival gets its name from the flower of the tree of the same name (bauhinia purpurea), a kind of tropical evergreen tree whose flower starts blooming at the onset of autumn and lasts till about the end of February. Its tender leaves also serve as a delicacy which is fondly savoured by the locals.
The first edition of the festival was organized at Babadam last year which drew tourists and participants from all over including performing cultural troupes from Assam, Manipur, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. Besides showcasing the cultural songs and dances as well as mouth watering cuisines and local beverages, the festival last year served as a platform for local bands and Singers to showcase their talents.
To make the festival even grander this year, famous international soft rock/pop band, Michael Learns to Rock (MLTR) has been roped in to enthrall the crowd.
Anticipating larger footfalls this year in the presence of the international rock band, the first round of meetings involving all stakeholders was on Monday, called by Deputy Commissioner Swapnil Tembe to discuss steps to be taken to enable a smooth and incident free festival. The issue of traffic arrangements, water connections, uninterrupted power supply, parking facilities, entry and exit points besides others were discussed during the meeting.
IANS