Our Correspondent
Imphal, April 18 (EMN): The Manipur government has taken up necessary preparation to organise the five day Shirui Lily Festival 2017 to be held from May 5 to May 7 at Shirui Village, the home of Shirui Lily (Lilium Mackliniae) in Ukhrul district.
Shirui Lily, discovered by Britisher Frank Kingdon Ward in 1948, grows only in the Shirui Peak and blooms in the month of May and June. The State declared Shirui Lily as State Flower in 1989. An organising committee for the festival was also formed during a meeting chaired by the State chief minister N Biren Singh in Imphal on Tuesday.
In the day’s first ever meeting of the organising committee which was attended by all the concerned department heads besides the State chief secretary and other tour operators, Chief Minister Biren said, “We have three things in Manipur which is unique in the World- Sangai, Shirui and Manipuri Polo.” “The State Government has already organised festivals in the name of Sangai and Manipuri Polo, but a festival for Shirui is yet to be organised. And I felt that we must organise a grand festival in the name of the Shirui,” he added.
The Organising Committee also decided that the Opening Ceremony will be held at IFAD Ground, Shirui Village and the Closing Ceremony at Tangkhul Naga Long ground, Ukhrul.
Various Sub-Committee, Programme Sub-Committee, Cultural Sub-Committee, Exhibition Sub-Committee, Media Sub-Committee and Transport Sub-Committee were also constituted for a grand success of the festival.
