CHIBRAGRE, Nov 14: Meghalaya's 100 Drums Wangala Festival entered the Guinness World Records on Saturday after 1,000 traditional drummers and 3,000 dancers performed at the Garo Heritage Village in Chibragre, near Tura.
The record was set on the concluding day of the four-day Golden Jubilee edition of the annual Garo cultural festival, which began on November 11.
Union Tourism and Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said the Centre was ready to work with the Meghalaya government to develop the Garo Hills as a major tourist destination.
Addressing the closing ceremony, he said Wangala could become a prominent cultural attraction in the Northeast. He cited Nagaland's Hornbill Festival as an example of an indigenous celebration drawing visitors from across India and abroad.
Shekhawat said promoting Wangala could introduce Garo culture to a wider audience and create livelihood opportunities for local residents in tourism, hospitality, handicrafts and entrepreneurship, particularly among the youth.
The Golden Jubilee performance also fulfilled the vision of Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma's late father, former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno A. Sangma. During the festival's inauguration on November 11, Conrad Sangma recalled his father's wish to expand the event into a larger celebration featuring 1,000 drums.
More than 300 stalls displayed Garo cuisine, handloom products, handicrafts, traditional jewellery and other locally made goods. The programme also included folk performances, traditional dances, indigenous games and competitions.
The festival was first organised in December 1976 at Asananggre in the then West Garo Hills district. Wangala is traditionally celebrated after the harvest to express gratitude to Misi Saljong, the deity of fertility and prosperity.
