The fourth edition of the Shirui Lily Festival, which could not be held for two years because of the pandemic, got under way in Ukhrul district on Wednesday.
The festival has been organised by the state tourism directorate and will continue till Saturday to spread awareness about the endangered state flower — Shirui Lily — and promote the district of Ukhrul as a must-visit tourist destination in Manipur. The flower is endemic to the Kashong Hills in Shirui village.
The state government, in one of the several tweets on the festival, on Wednesday urged visitors to experience the uniqueness of the Shirui Hills.
“Take out your cameras. Do not miss a beat. Tag us in your photos and videos of the festival. Use the hashtags #shiruililyfest and #shiruifestmygov,” one of the tweets said.
The Shirui Hills is considered one of the most interesting treks in Manipur. Ukhrul, around 83km east of the state capital Imphal, is the state’s highest hill station. It is connected to Imphal via NH-150.
Manipur governor La Ganesan along with chief minister N. Biren Singh inaugurated the four-day festival on Wednesday.
Thanking the people of Ukhrul, Singh said the state could not observe the festival for the last two years because of the Covid-19 pandemic, but now the state was free of Covid cases.
He said Manipur, despite being a small state, had many unique gifts such as Nungbi pottery of the Tangkhul tribe. He stressed the need encourage Nungbi pottery for exports. Singh also emphasised on the need to develop infrastructure for tourists visiting Ukhrul besides shortening the distance between Ukhrul and Imphal.
The pinkish Shirui Lily, also called Siroy Lily, was named after Jean Macklin, the wife of botanist Frank Kingdon Ward who spotted the flower in 1946 while collecting botanical specimens. The Royal Horticultural Society, one of the world’s leading horticultural organisations, honoured the Shirui Lily with its prestigious merit award at its Flower Show in London in 1948. It was designated as the state flower in 1989. A foot tall, the plant blooms between April and June, covering the stretch of the Shirui Hill range, making it a picture-perfect location.
“This festival celebrates Manipur’s vast biodiversity and rich cultural legacy, allowing visitors to learn about the Tangkhul Naga tribe of Ukhrul and explore Manipur’s highest hill station through its cultural origins, values, and customs. Live music and cultural shows, traditional dances, folk songs, beauty pageants, exhibits, indigenous games, and sports competitions will mark the four-day festival,” tourism director W. Ibohal Singh said in a statement.
One of the main draws of the festival will be the Shirock 2022, a spectacle of live music performances and competition, attracting visitors from all across the state and adjacent regions.
“Monuments — a British progressive metal band — will perform on the final day of Shirock this year,” Singh said, adding there will be exhibition football matches at another venue.
The state government is spending around Rs 4.5 crore for the event. The festival had attracted over 12,000 foreigners in 2019.