Preserve and pass on the culture: Mooshahary

Tura, Nov 10: Meghalaya Governor Ranjit Shekar Mooshahary said that the Wangala drummers were greatly appreciated during the recent Commonwealth Games in Delhi and stressed on the need to preserve and protect the “rich culture” and passed it on to the younger generation.

Speaking as the chief guest on the final day of the “100 Drums Wangala Festival” Saturday Mooshahary was given the twenty gun salute, Meghalaya chief minister Mukul Sangma was the guest of honour.

Acknowledging the participation of troupes from neighboring Bangladesh Mooshahary said that culture has no boundaries and that it was a matter of pride to be able to preserve our rich cultural and traditional beliefs and practices.

Mooshshary later released a book ‘Rites of Passage in the Garo Oral Literature’ written by S Alva B Sangma

The three-day annual grand cultural fiesta of the Garos, the 100 Drums Wangala Festival marking the end of harvest and the beginning of winter season concluded with dancing troupes from ten villages from all over Garo Hills including Bangladesh exhibiting their dancing abilitity to the beats of hundred ‘damas’ or drums at Asanang in West Garo Hills.

‘Wangala’ the Harvest festival of the Garos is a post harvest celebration performed by the Garos after the harvest is over. The festival is the culmination of the jhum cycle or slashes and the burn method of cultivation still being followed by the Garos.

Meghalaya chief minister Mukul Sangma informed the gathering that the government can render better support for the festival in future. He said that allotment of funds for the 100 drums Wangala festival improved from last year only and urged the organizers to strive to organize the festival in a grander scale so as to attract people and tourists from outside the state and the country.

The final day of the festival was marked by the ‘Sasat Soa’ and ‘Dani Doka’ rituals followed by the Wangala dance competitions wherein participating troupes vied with each other to becomes this year’s best dancers and drummers.

On Friday competitions on indigenous games and sports, various forms of oral recitations and chant and traditional musical instruments was held besides traditional folk song competition organised bt Meghalaya Aids Control Society. Later prizes were given out by the Mooshahary and Sangma to winners of various competitions held during the festival- By Our Reporter