Posted On:
14 NOV 2026 7:52PM by PIB Shillong
The Golden Jubilee celebration of the Wangala Festival marks five decades of the Garo community’s commitment to preserving its rich cultural heritage, collective identity and traditional values, said Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister of Tourism and Culture, while addressing the celebrations in Meghalaya today.
Describing the 50-year journey of the festival as a remarkable cultural achievement, the Minister said that Wangala represents not merely a festival but the collective commitment of generations to safeguarding and celebrating the glorious heritage of the Garo community. He paid tribute to the pioneers who envisioned a common platform for promoting and preserving Garo culture, particularly the first Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Late Captain A. Williamson Sangma, and former Chief Minister Late P. A. Sangma, along with all those who contributed to the festival’s growth over the decades.
Highlighting the significance of Wangala, the Minister said that the festival embodies gratitude towards nature and Mother Earth for a bountiful harvest and reflects the deep relationship between human beings and the natural world. At a time when the world is facing climate change and environmental degradation, traditions such as Wangala carry an important message of respect, harmony and coexistence with nature.
He observed that traditional wisdom and sustainable development must go hand in hand, adding that the preservation of cultural heritage is not only about safeguarding the past but also about creating opportunities for the future.
The Minister emphasised the need to document traditional songs, folklore and rituals and preserve this knowledge for future generations, while ensuring that such efforts are guided by the rights, wisdom and participation of the communities concerned. He stressed that the true essence of any cultural tradition lies in the community that has nurtured and preserved it across generations.
Highlighting Meghalaya’s tourism potential, Shri Shekhawat said that the state’s natural beauty, traditions, cuisine, handicrafts, folk music and distinctive way of life offer immense opportunities for cultural tourism. He identified Chibragre and the Garo Heritage Village as places that can emerge as important cultural tourism destinations.
The Minister stressed that tourism should go beyond increasing visitor numbers and become an instrument of employment generation, higher incomes and economic self-reliance for local communities. Young people, he said, should have opportunities to become tourist guides, homestay operators, hospitality professionals, entrepreneurs and cultural storytellers.
He also underlined the role of digital platforms in taking Garo music, dance and handicrafts to audiences across the world, enabling cultural heritage to become a source of preservation, entrepreneurship and economic growth.
A major highlight of the Golden Jubilee celebrations was the collective performance by 1,000 traditional drum players, playing the Dama, the traditional instrument of the Garo community. Describing the performance as a historic expression of collective strength, discipline and unity, the Minister said that a thousand artists, a thousand drums and one rhythm reflected the community’s unwavering commitment to its cultural identity.
He congratulated the Chief Minister of Meghalaya, the organisers and all the artists who worked towards making the initiative possible. He noted that preparing a performance of such magnitude required months of practice, dedication, discipline and coordination.
The Minister expressed confidence that the initiative had the potential to take the cultural identity of the Garo community to a global platform. He also expressed hope that the Wangala Festival would emerge as a major cultural landmark of Northeast India.
The Golden Jubilee celebration stands as a tribute to the generations of Garo people who have preserved and carried forward their cultural traditions, while opening new avenues for cultural promotion, tourism and livelihood opportunities for the future.
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