Meghalaya Tourism Minister grants Rs 20 Lakhs for Wangala Festival
Metbah Lyngdoh, Tourism Minister, Meghalaya
Metbah Lyngdoh, The Meghalaya Minister for Tourism, was the chief guest in the Rugala Ceremony of the Hundred Drums Wangala Festival held on Friday, 9th November 2018 at Asanggre near Tura.
Speaking on the occasion, Metbah Lyngdoh said he was so happy to witness the Wangala festival which he could not attend so far due to various reasons.
While addressing the gathering he even greeted the people in Garo language. Mentioning about the importance of preserving the culture and identity of our people, he lauded the committee members for keeping the tradition alive and have also appreciated the decision of the Wangala committee to promote the Clean and Green Wangala Festival.
Locals participate on the second day of the 100 Drums Wangala Festival Locals participate on the second day of the 100 Drums Wangala Festival
Later, Lyngdoh handed over the cheque of Rupees 20 lakhs from the Department of Tourism to the Chairman of the 100 Drums Wangala Committee.
Indigenous Games and Cultural competitions marked the second day of the Wangala Festival. Many local people took part in the Indigenous games.
Wangala (also known as The Hundred Drums Festival, Wanma, Wanma Rongchua) is a harvest festival celebrated by the Garo tribe, who live in Meghalaya and Assam in India and Greater Mymensingh in Bangladesh. In this post-harvest festival, they give thanks to Misi Saljong (also known as Pattigipa Ra’rongipa), the sun god, for blessing the people with a rich harvest. Wangala is celebrated in the months from September to December, with different villages setting different dates for the occasion.