It is finally here. The main festival of this year’s Cherry Blossom Festival kicks off tomorrow (Nov 21).

The must- visit festival in this part of the world at this time of the year. Nothing less than Cherry Blossom Festival 2022 in Shillong, the capital city of Meghalaya in northeast India and the country’s ‘Rock Capital’.

To top it all, the cherry blossoms are out, blooming everywhere the eye can see in this beautiful hill town with the sobriquet ‘Scotland of the East’.

The flowering of the pink Cherry Blossom trees adds a different level of beauty to the naturally beautiful green valleys of Shillong.

Meghalaya’s cherry blossom trees time it perfect, blossoming in autumn, just before winter sets in, just as the tourist season begins and there is nothing like it elsewhere, Japan having had its round of cherry blossoms in spring…

Meghalaya’s cherry blossoms have been growing steadily in number for decades now, having got to a point where they can now rival the beauty of those found in other places of the world. With the state government taking keen interest in developing the blossoms into a festival that can attract tourists from across the country and abroad, they now have their pride of place among the many other tourist attractions of the state, be it Sohra (Cherrapunjee), Meghalaya’s many caves and waterfalls and its pristine sacred groves, not to mention the state’s cultural richness including the famous Nongkrem dance.

The Northeastern part of the country is well known for its vibrant culture and traditions. It is natural that this part of the country hosts some of the most popular events of the country. While some of them are aimed at showcasing the local traditions and culture, some others are aimed at having a great time in lush green meadows. There’s nothing like the Cherry Blossom Festival in Shillong to enjoy the best of both worlds- nature’s bounty and culture, tradition, music, books, food- all thrown together in an eclectic mix for the visitors’ pleasure.

On the itinerary for the festival, being held after a hiatus of two years due to the Covid- 19  pandemic, are music shows, singing competitions, literary festival, cosplay, a fashion show, local winemaking, and the pageant for Mr, Miss, and Mrs Shillong Cherry Blossom. India’s biggest music festival will also feature a competition at the event, with a whooping Rs 25 Lakh grand prize. Food and beverage stalls – including wine, beer, as well as Japanese and Korean fare are worth looking forward to.

The venues for the festival are Ward’s Lake, Polo Grounds and State Central Library in Shillong. The cherry trees are expected to blossom during November and these last 2-3 weeks only. However, once the pink flowers start blooming, you can see them all over the city.

The festival started off with the Mega Music Contest (November 17 to 19) and the Shillong Literary Festival (November 21 to 23), culminating in the main event, which will take place from November 24 to 26.

The lineup of top bands and artists, from the local to the international, performing during the four days of the music festival, from November 23 to 26, include Lou Majaw, Papon, Nikhil Chinappa, Hybrid Theory, Jonas Blue, HRVY etc. Get ready to groove to their beats.

Hybrid Theory will be the headlining band on the first day of the music festival (Nov 23) at Polo. Widely regarded as the ultimate Linkin Park tribute band, this band from Portugal is sure to take LP fans down memory lane and rock their socks off.

Lou Majaw, popularly known as Shillong’s own Bob Dylan, is the follow- up act to Hybrid Theory. The feisty white long haired musician in shorts has been enthralling Dylan fans for decades. Hear him live at the festival in his hometown.

Our very own Papon will open the second day and he is sure to blow you away with his mellifluous voice at the fest.

HRVY is the headlining act for Day 3. He is tagged as the next big pop star to emerge from the UK. Known as the Strictly Come Dancing star, his legion of fans is only going to grow in the NE after he performs at the festival.

Jonas Blue is hailed as an international chart topping Hit ‘machine,’ with 4.5 million streams on Spotify and having gone Platinum 120 times. No mean feat there. Catch him on Day 4 at the Cherry Blossom festival.

The battle of bands during the day and the live concerts after sundown are by far the most popular parts of the event. Local, national and international artists and bands take part in this event and showcase their talents to mesmerize the visitors.

But the Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival is not only about music. A literary festival also takes place during these days. This event allows participants and visitors from all walks of life to meet their favourite poets, writers and authors. Many creative works are also released during this event.

Showcasing of traditional costumes, food, beverages and collectables are also part of the celebrations. Tourists and visitors can always try these out and buy if found necessary. After all, a good souvenir is the best kind of memory of a trip.

Dates: This year’s Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival will be from November 17 to 26 of November. The starting will be with a Mega Music Festival, followed by the Literary Festival and finally the main celebrations.

Venue: Shillong, Meghalaya.

Tickets/ Passes: Available online.

Accessibility: There is a small airport in Umroi near Shillong. Visitors can also land in Guwahati and drive to the hill station which is around 100 kms away.

Accommodation: Ample number of hotels and resorts are available across the city. But visitors should book ahead of the trip to avoid last-minute blues.

Shillong/ Ali Fauz Hassan/20 November 2022