The Golden Jubilee edition of the festival featured over 3,000 dancers at the Garo Heritage Village in Tura.
The Wangala festival in Meghalaya entered the Guinness World Records on Saturday after a performance involving 1,000 traditional drummers and over 3,000 dancers. The record-breaking event took place at the Wangala Playground in Tura during the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the festival, according to reports by Deccan Herald and ANI.
Guinness World Records adjudicator Richard Williams Stenning from the United Kingdom announced the record for the largest Wangala dance at the venue. The performance was part of the concluding day of the four-day festival, which began on November 11.
Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat attended the closing ceremony as the chief guest. He stated that the central government is willing to support the state in promoting the Garo Hills as a cultural tourism destination.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said the 1,000-drum performance fulfilled a dream of his late father, former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma. The festival originally began in 1976 and has grown from a small gathering into a major cultural event.
The state government provided Rs 6 crore for the organisation of this year's festival, with Rs 36.65 lakh sanctioned for the Guinness World Records application and logistics, according to ANI. The event also included a dance competition where Chidaogre won a trophy and Rs 2 lakh.
