Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma joined the Garo community in Tura to mark 50 years of the harvest festival.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma attended the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the Wangala Festival as the chief guest on Thursday. The event took place at the Garo Heritage Village in the West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya, according to reports by The Pioneer, ANI, and The Sentinel.
The festival, which is being held from November 11 to 14, is the primary harvest festival of the Garo community. Also known as the ‘100 Drums Festival’, the golden jubilee edition featured 1,000 drums and 2,000 dancers.
Sarma participated in the second day of festivities, which included the Rugala rituals where prayers are offered for a bountiful harvest. He witnessed traditional dances, played the 'Dama' drum, and tasted 'Bitchi', the traditional rice beer of the community.
Recalling the festival's history, the Chief Minister said formal celebrations began in 1975 at Chandmari Playground in Tura with 10 drums. He noted that the then Meghalaya Chief Minister, Captain Williamson A Sangma, suggested expanding the event to 100 drums.
Sarma paid tribute to pioneers Hubert Cocksi Sangma and Prabir Raksam for their roles in developing the celebration. He described the festival as a reflection of the Garo community's connection to nature and their gratitude to the Almighty.
The celebrations were attended by Meghalaya Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Timothy D Shira and Wangala Festival Committee President Ronald Reckman Sangma.
