Shillong, November 23: After the successful completion of India International Cherry Blossom Festival during 8-11 November 2017, in Shillong , which was a huge success and attracted more than 1,00,000 people, people are still wondering whether they can still see the pink cherry blossoms. Although the festival is over, several north eastern states like Meghalaya, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Manipur are dotted with full blooms of Cherry right now. These blossoms are of the autumn blossoming variety, unlike the more popular spring blossoming varieties in USA and Japan.
Taking a cue from the success of story of Meghalaya’s festival, now Manipur has come out to organise the 1st Manipur Cherry Blossom Festival at Mao , a border town between Manipur and Nagaland, from 26-28 November 2017, which is being organised by the Mao Flower Growers’ Association in association with Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD), a National Institute of Department of Biotechnology, Government of India.
The Shillong festival has made an economic impact by creating business activities of more than 200-300% at different levels , creating a cascading effect in Meghalaya, and boosting the local green economy , said Prof. Dinabandhu Sahoo, Director IBSD, who has been spearheading the Cherry Blossom movement in India.
Besides the direct economic impact, the festival has opened a large number of business opportunities for traditional food and handicrafts, for several unemployed youth and showcased the unique culture of the region.
Since this is the peak tourist season, the people who have missed the Shillong festival can now join the 1st Manipur Cherry Blossom Festival which will not only display the natural beauty of the cherry blossoms but also showcase the rich arts and culture of the North East said Sahoo. People who are travelling to Meghalaya, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland can also witness the Cherry blossoms in full bloom right now till this month end.
He urged the people to plant a cherry blossom tree during their visit to North East India so that they can take pride in not only carrying that sweet memory home but also be an active participant to combat climate change .
