Fest showcasing Meghalaya’s indigenous culture kicks off in Shillong’s central library

Shillong: The Tri Hills Ensemble kicked off at State Central Library premises here on Thursday. The two-day event is showcasing the rich arts, crafts and culture of Meghalaya’s three tribes — Khasi, Jaiñtia and Garo, besides commemorating the Jan Jatiya Gaurav Diwas.
Inaugurating the 3rd edition of the festival, CM Conrad Sangma said, “It is a celebration of our culture, our society and our people. Through this festival, we aim to showcase the rich diversity and cultural identity of our people. Culture connects us to our roots, our past, our unique identity and distinguishes us from the crowd. As a form of soft power, we are trying as a govt to harness this potential and release it for constructive purposes.”
Conrad said the govt has envisioned a road map to inspire the state’s younger generation to be proud of their roots. The govt has tailored programmes that promote culture, different forms of art, music, literature and ancient knowledge and wisdom. “We want our people to be proud of our culture, customs and language. Our events and festivals celebrate the richness of the state,” he emphasised.
The CM lauded the arts and culture dept for taking the initiative to give the Captain Williamson Sangma Museum a facelift and urged the education dept to make it mandatory for education institutes to visit the museum .
Head of India for Welsh govt, Mitchell Theaker, was also present on the occasion.