By Prasanta Phukon
American rock band Extreme who gained international fame from their famous original single 'more than words' made their debut performance in India on 19.10.2018 during the Shirui festival. Earlier Nazareth, the Scottish hard rock veterans performed in the opening day on 17.10.2019.
Recognizing the importance of state flower, the Shirui Festival which was upgraded to a state level fest sponsored by government in May 2017, aims to spread awareness about conservation of the rare pinkish white flower that resembles the shape of a bell and also “to develop and implement sustainable and responsible tourism in the state” besides promoting Ukhrul as a tourist destination in Northeast.
The major attraction of this festival is ShiRock competition wherein nearly two dozen bands from five NE states had competed for the coveted title ‘Shirock 2019’ carrying a cash component of INR 10 lakh and the voice – the solo hunt for the individual prize competition during the Shirock which had etched a name on the country’s music map since last year, after the performance of American heavy metal bands Steelheart and Queensryche.
Live music, cultural shows, beauty pageants, exhibitions, folk songs, traditional dances and indigenous games and sports competitions marked the four-day Shirui Lily Festival. Also, the festival featured demonstrations of the age-old traditions and culture of the inhabitants of the district of Ukhrul.
Video by Laura J Khongsit
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