Tura, Nov. 11: Meghalaya governor V. Shanmuganathan today tried his hand at playing drums, adding colour to the celebrations as the 39th edition of Wangala festival got under way in Asananggre near Tura in West Garo Hills.

In his inaugural address, Shanmuganathan said from Jammu and Kashmir to Tamil Nadu, the country celebrates vibrant, colourful and multi-cultural festivals and Wangala is among them. Since the festival culminates with thanksgiving to the Lord for the bountiful harvest, it shows that the Garo people are agrarian in nature, he added. He appealed to the members of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council and government officials to plan and work together to make agriculture more attractive so that cultivators can become self-sufficient.

Wangala is a post-harvest festival of the Garo community held in the second week of November every year. It is a thanksgiving ceremony to Misi Saljong or Pattigipa Rarongipa (the great giver) for blessing the people with a rich harvest.

This time more than 3,000 people had gathered at the venue to celebrate the inauguration of the festival.

Shanmuganathan lauded the unique and wonderful community life of the Garos where in times of crisis and happy occasions like marriages, the whole clan helps in kind and cash.

A tug of war and competitions on playing indigenous musical instruments like chigring and adil were organised.

The inaugural ceremony was followed by a Rugala ceremony which is performed by the nokma (village headman).