Meghalaya's Wangala festival enters Guinness World Records with 1,000 drums
The 50th edition of the Garo community's post-harvest festival featured 1,000 drummers and over 3,000 dancers in Tura.
The 50th Wangala Festival concluded on Saturday, November 14, 2026, at the Garo Heritage Village in Chibragre, near Tura, entering the Guinness Book of World Records. According to the Deccan Herald, a team from Guinness World Records in London recorded a performance by 1,000 drummers and over 3,500 dancers at the Wangala Playground.
The Golden Jubilee celebrations, which ran from November 11 to November 14, were organised by the 100 Drums Wangala Festival Committee. Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat attended the closing ceremony as the chief guest, alongside Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma.
The scale of the event fulfilled a vision held by former Meghalaya Chief Minister PA Sangma to hold a 1,000-drum festival for the golden jubilee. The Meghalaya government sanctioned Rs 25.50 crore for the celebrations, including Rs 20 crore for infrastructure through the Meghalaya Public Works Department (PWD) and Rs 5.50 crore for the festival committee.
Guinness World Records adjudicator Richard Williams Stenning announced the record on Saturday evening. The festival is a post-harvest thanksgiving tradition for the Garo community, dedicated to Misi Saljong, the Garo Sun God of fertility.
Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said the festival fulfilled his father PA Sangma's dream. He stated that efforts should be made to preserve ancient culture and tradition to promote tourism and provide livelihood opportunities to communities.