By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Dec 14: The much-anticipated Monolith Festival has been deferred to February next year.
Speaking to The Shillong Times here on Thursday, KHADC Chief Executive Member (CEM) Pyniaid Sing Syiem said the decision to defer the dates of the festival was taken by the Executive Committee (EC) of the KHADC following a discussion with Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma.
The CEM said that the festival will now be held from February 1 to 3.
It may be recalled that the festival was earlier scheduled for December and then postponed to January 2024.
Syiem said that there are various factors which prompted the EC to take this decision.
He explained that the government is caught up with too many programmes and activities in January.
“We are aware that the Meghalaya Games will be held in January. We also have the Meghalaya Day celebration and Republic Day celebration. We felt it is better we hold it in February,” he said
Earlier, the Executive Member in-charge Development, Victor Ranee had stated that the Monolith Festival would only permit local brew wines and rice beers and not foreign alcohols.
Additionally, only locally made products will be showcased and available for purchase at the venue, he said.
Talking about the ongoing construction at the Heritage Village in Mawphlang, Ranee highlighted that its design is curated to allure tourists beyond the festival’s three-day duration.
“The revenue generated from this endeavour aims to prevent the site from becoming dormant after the festival, unlike previous years’ outcomes,” he remarked.
According to the agreement terms, the KHADC is set to receive 60% of the generated revenue, while the remaining 40% will be allocated to the Hima Mawphlang.
Worth mentioning is that the ‘bigger and better’ Monolith festival is set to make a comeback after seven years. The festival, last conducted in 2016, was halted due to fund constraints earlier. However, the KHADC is collaborating with the state’s Tourism department to host the festival.
The primary objective of KHADC in hosting the festival is to consolidate the diverse and rich traditional cultural heritage of the Khasis under a single platform for exhibition and celebration.
The festival provides a platform for Khasi community to come together, celebrate their unique identity, and share their traditions with the broader population, both locals and visitors. The festival typically features various cultural performances, traditional dances, music, arts and crafts exhibitions, and culinary delights that are intrinsic to Khasi culture.