Meghalaya Govt: This year Cherry blossom festival will not be held in Shillong

The festival is celebrated every year to mark the unique autumn flowering of the Himalayan cherry blossom in the hills of Meghalaya

The Meghalaya government has decided to change the venue for this year’s Cherry blossom festival from Shillong to Ri Bhoi, informed Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh today.

Speaking to media at his office in Shillong, Minister Lyngdoh said that the Tourism Department will hold 3 days Cherry blossom festival from November 17 to 19.

The Minister stated that the department will work out the details and inform the public about the festival.

Every year, during November, Shillong turns into a live painting with blooming cherry flowers covering the city with shades of pink and purple, and that is when the state celebrates Cherry blossom festival. The festival is celebrated every year to mark the unique autumn flowering of the Himalayan cherry blossom in the hills of Meghalaya.

The Tourism department today unveiled the calendar of events. According to the calendar, this year the festivity in Meghalaya will start from October.

The Minister unveiled a year-round event strategy to attract a higher number of tourists to the state.

Minister Paul Lyngdoh said that tourists flow in the state has reached 15 lakhs annually. Aiming to further enhance the tourist inflow, the tourism department will complete the process to turn Khyndailad into a pedestrian zone before the start of the festivities this October.

The Minister further said that the new attraction this year will be Shillong Blues festival, for which the date is yet to be fixed.

The festivity will begin with Megha Kayak Fest, an annual whitewater contest to be held at Umtham Village.

The Tourism Department also announced that the Shillong Literary Festival will be from November 14 to 16.

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