NEW DELHI, Nov 29: The famed Cherry Blossom trees of Shillong will not be featuring in the India International Cherry Blossom Festival, which had to be cancelled this year because of COVID-19.
But the beautiful pink flowers of the city have certainly caught the attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The fact came to light in the Prime Minister’s latest ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme when he mentioned about the Cherry Blossoms of Shillong going viral on the Internet, with pride.
“We are stepping into (the) winters. The Internet is replete with pictures of Cherry Blossom flowers, but they are not from Japan, but from India’s Shillong,” Modi said in his 71th Mann Ki Baat programme on All India Radio (AIR) on Sunday.
This is second time the Prime Minister talked about a unique feature of the state during the popular radio programme, after earlier referring to the rare cave fish in the hill state.
“These are pictures of Shillong, of our Meghalaya. These Cherry Blossoms have further enhanced the beauty of Meghalaya,” Modi said.
The Prime Minister said that people’s perspective in observing nature had also undergone a change.
During the programme broadcast by AIR, Modi also pointed out how the pandemic, which has transformed people’s lives, has also brought people closer to nature.
He said the pandemic has given us an opportunity to experience nature in a “new manner”.
The pandemic might have brought the country to a halt but it could never stop nature from taking its own course.
Meghalaya’s capital is now awash with the beautiful pink of gorgeous cherry blossoms. Every year in autumn, the city wears a shade of pink with the blooming of these flowers, giving people another reason to head to the hill station.
So while the India International Cherry Blossom Festival, which usually takes place in November, has been cancelled this year due the pandemic, many are witnessing the natural phenomenon over videos and pictures.
The blooming cherry blossoms of Shillong are currently trending on social media, with many comparing the city’s magnificent landscape to that of Japanese and French cities.
It was the Imphal-based Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD), which popularised this local phenomenon into an annual international mega event.
“When you have cherry blossom (s) blooming in Shillong, why travel to Japan. North East is a place to see. Beautiful mountains, lush green forests, national parks, great food, warm and friendly people. Make it your next travel destination,” posted one Twitter user.
