Sirarakhong Hathei Festival to kick off on September 16

IMPHAL — The 14th edition of the Sirarakhong Hathei (Chili) Festival, which is usually organised in August to promote this unique produce, will be held from September 16 to the 18th at Sirarakhong village in Manipur’s Ukhrul district.

The picturesque Sirarakhong village, located in the western part of Ukhrul district, will be hosting the indigenous chili festival to showcase the village’s rich agricultural heritage.

The inaugural function of the 3-day festival on the theme ‘A heritage of blessing,’ will be attended by Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla as the chief guest.

Also read: Sirarakhong Hathei Festival rescheduled to September 16–18

The Sirarakhong Hathei festival also serves as a testament to the contributions of local women.

“At first we struggled a lot to market our vegetables including Hathei,” said Philayan Vashai Zimik, founding member of the first Sirarakhong Hathei festival in 2010.

Sharing a similar sentiment, Alcyon Woleng, a leader of the village women leagues said, “Now it becomes a primary income of many households.”

 “These days the villagers keep their chillies like we deposit money in banks,” said Wungkhayap Zimik, village headman of Sirarakhong, explaining the rescheduling of the festival due to delayed chilli ripening caused by continuous rainfall.

Sirarakhong Hathei is one of the best varieties of chillies with a distinct flavour and colour.

In September 2021, Sirarakhong Hathei along with Tamenglong orange, a species of the mandarin family, acquired the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.