Shillong: Conrad K. Sangma, the Chief Minister of Meghalaya, and Satoshi Suzuki, the Japanese Ambassador to India, opened the three-day Cherry Blossom Festival at the Polo 5th Ground here on Thursday.
The celebration, which was cancelled last year due to the Covid-19 outbreak, takes place in conjunction with the yearly blooming of pink cherry blossoms in much of the state capital and many other regions of the mountainous state. On the same day, the first edition of the Shillong Literary Festival, which is also a component of the Cherry Blossom Festival, was launched.
During the three-day festival, a variety of competitions will be performed, including singing and dancing, fashion presentations, local winemaking, and Japanese and Korean culinary preparation, among other things.
Suzuki, speaking at the opening ceremony, said he was pleased by the various facades of the state depicted via the festival, adding that cherry blossoms, or 'Sakura,' are Japan's national flower and a source of inspiration for the Japanese people. Due to its unique geography and environment, Meghalaya has the potential to attract more tourists, particularly from other areas of the world, he said.
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