By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Nov 16: Shillong city on Thursday came to life, one day ahead of the start of the much anticipated Cherry Blossom Festival with an impressive turnout of tourists arriving here to witness the picturesque cityscape covered in pink because of the blooming Cherry Blossom trees.
What added to the excitement in the city was the three-day Shillong Literary Festival which pulled in a large number of crowds on Thursday from the state and outside.
Police Bazar was sprawling with tourists arriving for the festival and to make the most of out of the scenic sights that adorns the city at this time of the year.
The president of Federation of Shillong Hotels, Parambir Singh Sehdave, told The Shillong Times that the occupancy rates in the hotels currently stands at 85 per cent.
With a line-up comprising local and international artistes at the Cherry Blossom Festival, the state government is already anticipating a footfall of more than 1 lakh tourists. The three-day extravaganza is being held at Bhoirymbong this time.
The festival had earlier landed in a controversy with there being objections to the finale of the festival happening on a Sunday. However, the tensions seem to have lessened now.