Tura, Nov 11: Fifty years. One thousand drums. Three thousand dancers. One heartbeat.
The Golden Jubilee of the 100 Drums Wangala Festival opened with a thunderous roar at Wangala A’dam, Chibragre, on Wednesday as Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma inaugurated the biggest celebration in the history of the A’chiks.
This year, Wangala is not just 100 drums. It is 1000.
“Late P.A. Sangma’s vision was never just 100 drums; it was 1000 drums. Today, we have brought that vision to life,” the Chief Minister said, as the crowd erupted.
He paid tribute to the pioneers of 1976 — Captain A. Sangma, Sanford K. Marak, Dr. Bernard K. Marak, Probin Raksam, Hubert K. Sangma, Liander K. Mara, Herik S. Sangma, Felix R. Sangma, Garnet Mangsang and many others — who started the festival at Asanang when village Wangalas were fading away. The government will felicitate them posthumously, he announced.
The message was clear: Meghalaya may be growing fast, but it will not lose its soul.
“Many developed countries have no peace because they forgot their identity. We will not make that mistake,” Sangma said.
To back the promise, the government has pumped in Rs 20 crore through PWD to develop Wangala A’dam, plus Rs 6 crore for this year’s festival, including the Guinness World Records attempt.
“This is our identity. We should preserve it, support it, and feel proud about it,” he said.
The four-day festival, from November 11 to 14, under the theme “Rhythm of 1,000 Drums,” will feature the Thousand Drums presentation, Rugala, Cha’chat So’a, indigenous games, folk songs, oral traditions and traditional food. Troupes from Assam, Nagaland, Tripura, Karbi Anglong and Garo communities of Ruga, Chibok, Megam and Atong have joined in, along with over 300 stalls of food, handloom, handicrafts and local products.
What began in 1976 with 10 contingents, 100 drums and 300 dancers has today become Meghalaya’s biggest cultural stage, drawing tourists from India and abroad.
Also present were MLAs Mehtab Chandee A. Sangma, Arbinstone B. Marak, Jimmy D. Sangma and Sanjay A. Sangma, GHADC CEM Dormonath Sangma, MDCs, religious leaders and district officials.
For the next three days, Tura will not just celebrate Wangala. It will live it.
