1,000 drums Wangala to mark Golden Jubilee; speaker reviews Chibragre preparations
Tura, Oct. 8: Meghalaya Legislative Assembly Speaker and North Tura MLA Thomas A. Sangma on Wednesday inspected ongoing preparations at the Garo Heritage Village, Chibragre, for the Golden Jubilee celebration of the 100 Drums Wangala Festival, scheduled for November.
The Golden Jubilee will mark 50 years of the organised 100 Drums Wangala Festival. As part of the celebration, organisers will hold a special 1,000 Drums Wangala Festival, replacing the customary 100-drums presentation.
Sangma reviewed the progress of ongoing works and held discussions with officials from the Tourism, Water Supply, PWD and Power departments, besides members of the 100 Drums Wangala Festival Committee.
He was accompanied by Committee Chairman Ronald Rikman Sangma, Superintendent of Police Abraham T. Sangma, SP (Traffic), Tura Rupam R. Marak and other officials.
Speaking to the media, Sangma said preparations were progressing well despite the scale of the event. He said various departments were coordinating with the district administration to ensure that the arrangements were completed on time.
Four Chief Ministers from the Northeast are expected to attend the Golden Jubilee celebrations, while cultural contingents from Nagaland, Assam and Tripura are also expected to participate. The Bangladesh contingent, however, will not be able to attend due to pending visa requirements.
On traffic management, Sangma said congestion along the route to Wangala A’dam had been a recurring concern. He said shuttle services would operate throughout the day to transport visitors, as parking facilities would not be adequate to accommodate the expected turnout.
Sangma also clarified that the Golden Jubilee commemorates 50 years of the organised festival, rather than 50 years of the Wangala tradition itself. The Wangala festival has been observed by the Garo people for centuries as a post-harvest expression of gratitude to the Creator.
The organised 100 Drums Wangala Festival was first held at Asanang in 1976 with the objective of preserving Garo culture and traditions at a time when traditional Songsarek practices were declining amid the community’s increasing shift towards Christianity.
The 1,000-drums celebration at Chibragre is expected to provide a major platform for showcasing and preserving Garo cultural heritage while marking five decades of the organised Wangala Festival.