Meghalaya's Wangala festival aims for world record with 1,000 drums
Organisers of the golden jubilee post-harvest festival in West Garo Hills are targeting a Guinness World Record entry.
Organisers of the Wangala Festival in Meghalaya's West Garo Hills district are aiming for a spot in the Guinness World Records by performing with 1,000 drums. According to The Assam Tribune, the four-day post-harvest festival begins on Wednesday at Wangala A’dam near Chibragre village.
The festival, which is celebrating its golden jubilee, is dedicated to the Sun God, Misi Saljong, as an expression of gratitude for a bountiful harvest. While known as the ‘Hundred Drums Wangala Festival’, the number of drums will increase to 1,000 as troupes from Nagaland, Assam, Tripura, and other North Eastern States converge at the venue.
Protocol officer Albert Sangma said cultural troupes began arriving at the venue on November 7. Special training and rehearsals have been conducted for the drum recital, and a 10-km Wangala-thon marathon is also being organised as part of the celebrations.
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma will attend the inauguration on Wednesday as the chief guest. On November 12, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma will attend the second day of celebrations.
Meghalaya Governor Chandrashekhar H Vijayashankar will be the chief guest on November 13. The concluding ceremony on November 14 will feature Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat as the chief guest, during which the special attempt for the Guinness World Record will be made.