Strawberry, Valentine walks hand in hand

SHILL/UMSNING, FEB 14: “Love” and “Strawberry” not only share the passionate red colour but the heart-shaped fruit has also come to increasingly symbolize love along with the ‘Red Rose’ and the Meghalaya government seems to innately sense the symbolism between the two as it has taken to the promotion of ‘strawberry’ through ‘love’ by holding the Strawberry Festival in the Sohilya village on Valentine’s Day.

Interestingly, the first “Strawberry Festival” held in 2005 by the Meghalaya’ agriculture department on Valentine’s Day also offered free rose to whoever bought the strawberry fruit. Meghalaya principal secretary KN Kumar, who was then posted as agriculture department commissioner, said that the idea then was to promote the production of strawberry in Meghalaya and the festival became a hit and was held in subsequent year.

Kumar also said that as the harvesting of strawberry coincides with Valentine Day timing, so the Strawberry Festival was held on Valentine’s Day.

However whatever the reason, now in Meghalaya ‘Valentine’ Day’ and ‘Strawberry Festival’ literally goes hand-in-hand like the love-struck couples who are actually seen thronging different stalls and buying each other a packet of strawberry.

On Saturday too, the scenic Sohliya village in Ri Bhoi district saw couples thronging the “Strawberry Festival’ and love was definitely in the air. The village ambience was just right for the couples and singles to go and socked themselves in the festive ambience of the Strawberry Festival and enjoy the lip smacking and juicy fruit organized by the District Horticulture Office of Ri Bhoi district.

Stalls not only sold freshly packed strawberry fruit but strawberry wines were also on offer and many could not resist buying and taking the bottles of strawberry wines home. Some of the visitors were even seen relishing both the fruit and strawberry wine in the venue as it was just a perfect Valentine Day celebration.

As the “Strawberry Festival” had moved out of Shillong to Ri Bhoi district, lovers in the city had to make do with “Roses” and there were plenty on offer of different colours. The spirit of Valentine Day celebration was as electrifying as preceding years as young girls and boys were seen in many parts of the city, especially Khyndailad, carrying gifts and roses for their loved ones.

In many city hotel Valentine Day’s bash were organized for couples and many of them were seen rushing to different venues to celebrate with the loved ones.- By Our Reporter