SHILLONG, Oct 18 � Meghalaya Tourism department has promised the �biggest carnival of the North East� during its three-day Autumn Festival, dubbed �experiencing the North East,� beginning here on November 4.
�This would be the biggest carnival of the North East in which Meghalaya would try to take the lead in promoting the tourism potential of the entire region,� Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said. The carnival is being organised by the Meghalaya Tourism Development Forum (MTDF) and Department of Tourism.
He said the idea behind the festival is to promote the region�s tourism potential collectively and also promote different festivals of the North East so that tourists visiting the region can lengthen their stay.
The festival will begin on November 4 with the �Shillong Street Carnival� involving localities, schools and colleges, besides cultural troupes of the eight States of the North East. The carnival will also include a cultural parade, float parade followed by fetes and festivities.
Schools, colleges and the general public have been invited to take part in the carnival and the best street carnival would get cash prizes, Larsing Ming, president MTDF said. �We are inviting all the localities of Shillong to set up stalls at the venue,� Ming added.
On November 5 and 6, the festival would shift to its permanent venue at the picturesque Orchid Lake Resort at Umiam for the grand finale. All the Northeastern States will be represented in mega haats constructed at the resort, displaying their respective dishes and brews, Ming said.
During the evenings, cultural programmes of all the Northeastern States would be held. Moreover, cultural troupes from Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar would add colour to the festival this year.
