SHILLONG, OCT 16: Chief Minister Mukul Sangma today announced hosting of the India International Cherry Blossom Festival in Shillong, the capital of the hill state, for the second consecutive time from November 8 to 11.
Addressing media persons at the Press Club of India, New Delhi, Sangma invited the people from the different parts of the country and international community to visit the state and enjoy the world’s only autumn cherry blossom festival.
Also present was Prof Dinabandhu Sahoo, Director of Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD), who is the man behind the festival.
Both Sangma and Sahoo said, “If you ever wanted to see the Cherry Blossom Festival , you don’t have to fly to Japan or USA anymore. You can have the full Cherry Blossom view in India in November.”
According to them, Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya, is in full bloom every November with pink and white Cherry Blossoms all along the roadside and the famous Ward’s Lake.
To enjoy the Cherry Blossom festival, popularly known as Sakura in Japan, people usually spend thousands of dollars and visit different parts of Japan or USA during the month of March every year.
Realizing the importance of Cherry Blossom to promote socio-economic development in the North East through eco-tourism, Prof Sahoo and Sustainable Development, a National Institute of Government of India initiated a major Cherry Blossom Festival Initiative in association with the Government of Meghalaya in May 2015.
As a precursor for holding India’s first Cherry Blossom Festival in the State, the Avenue Cherry Tree Plantation was launched by the Chief Minister Mukul Sangma in the presence of Director IBSD, Prof Dinabandhu Sahoo at Ward’s Lake, Shillong on May 14, 2015.
If you enter the city of Shillong from Umiam (and also in New Shillong, Mawphlang and Ward’s Lake) you will see thousands of Cherry Blossom trees have been planted and lined up inside beautiful bamboo tree guards for protection.
While all these efforts were going on, the news of these events were published in Japan.
On September 24, 2015, a Japanese delegation from GIFU CHERRY BLOSSOM ASSOCIATION (GIFU SAKURA NO KAI) visited Delhi and expressed their keen interests to plant cherry blossom trees in India.
As an outcome of these efforts, a Japanese delegation from the GIFU SAKURA NO KAI visited India on February 11, 2016 and launched India’s First Sakura Plantation Ceremony at Talkatora Gardens, Delhi, With this IBSD initiative, Delhi became the 38th City in the world and the First in India to hold such a event.
This year’s festival, the India International Cherry Blossom Festival, to be held at Shillong from November 8-11, will build on the success of last year’s festival.
There will be several community events which include guided night walks under illuminated cherry blossoms, live musical events, a beauty pageant and stalls showcasing the cuisine, wine, arts and craft of the region .
Along side , there will be a rock concert, traditional folk music, unplugged western music and dance performances from all over North East India, choir performances, photography competitions, bicycle rallies, storytelling sessions of local and world folktales , a women’s exhibition football match and a local golf cup.
It may be mentioned here, Shillong made history by hosting India’s First Cherry Blossom Festival during November 14-17, 2016, organized by Govt of Meghalaya in association with Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD).
The festival had attracted a huge number of tourists from all over the world and was a curtain raiser for the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development as declared for the Year 2017, by the United Nations.
By Our Reporter
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