SHILLONG: With an intent of boosting tourism in the state, the state government is all set to host a one-of-a kind festival “The Meghalayan Age Festival 2020” at Thadlaskein in West Jaintia Hills next month.
The festival will be a 9-day affair starting from March 7 to 15. It will feature several attractions like glamping, hot-air balloon, caving, hiking, live performances and diverse culinary treats.
Speaking to media persons about the much hyped festival, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said that the primary objective of the festival is to make Meghalaya a high-end tourism destination.
“We would like to package and project ourselves as a high-end destination and in the process , many tourist will come,” Sangma said.
The government aims to make this festival a calendar event.
“The caving society that we have, they never got any official support from the government or any union in the past and they have just been spending their own money and it is for the first time that government has supported them to buy different types of equipments for caving and these equipments are a long time investment. We will promote this so that local caving enthusiast will benefit from it,” said the chief minister.
He also informed that an invitation has also been sent out to all chief ministers of the North Eastern states to attend it.
During the festival, a National Tourism Conclave will be held wherein minister of Jal Shakti, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, DoNER minister Jitender Singh, union Minister of sports and youth affairs and Kiren Rijiju will be the key participants.
The festival has been named Meghalayan Age Festival because the geological age in which the people live from (4200) years to the present is the Meghalayan Age.
The scientific fact was established two years ago based on geological evidence found at Mawmluh caves in Meghalaya.
