Shillong: Thousands of tourists and naturalists from India and overseas are flocking to the International Cherry Blossom Festival now underway in Shillong, capital of Meghalaya state in northeastern India.

This is the second time the city known as the Scotland of the East is hosting the festival. It also showcases Meghalaya’s traditional arts, culture and cuisine.

Meghalaya Forests and Environment Minister Clement Marak said similar festivals in Japan, South Korea, Switzerland and the US have foster intercontinental friendship. “We are hopeful that in a few years, Meghalaya can get international recognition with the active participation of government departments and stakeholders,” he said while opening the festival on November 8.

He said that the Meghalaya government has decided to organize the festival on a larger scale after holding India’s first ever cherry blossom festival in Shillong last year.

Meghalaya, the minister noted, is the first in the world to celebrate autumn Cherry Blossom Festival based on local cherry trees which bloom uniquely in the state.

Dinabandhu Sahoo, director of Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (ISBD), said cherry blossom festivals in other countries are borrowed from Japan, while “our festival is unique” organized with “our own ideas.”

The festival would not only bring socio-economic development in the region, but would promote peace, prosperity and sustainable development, which are the United Nations’ sustainable development goals, he added.

The Shillong cherry blossom festival is unique because the cherry trees flower in March-June in other countries, whereas in Meghalaya they blossom in November.

Although the cherry blossom actually originated in the Himalayas, it did not get popularized in the Himalayan nations such as India, Nepal and Bhutan.

Minister Marak said the festival will further the government’s commitment to promote tourism by showcasing the state’s rich cultural and natural resources.

“By celebrating cherry blossoms, we are celebrating nature and therefore it is our moral obligation to preserve this rich biodiversity,” he added.

Marak also appreciated the partnership with IBSD for joint conceptualization and implementation of this humble yet successful start in putting Meghalaya onto the global tourist map.

Climate change and prolonged Monsoon this year have delayed the blooming of the pink and white cherry blossoms. “Cherry blossoms take time to bloom in low-lying areas but blooming first started in high altitude areas due to sunlight,” a botanist said.

Reports say flowers have started blooming in the high-altitude Upper Shillong and Laitkor area.

The festival is scheduled to close on November 11, but the flowering will last for two weeks, Sahoo said.

Around 5,000 cherry blossom trees have been planted on both sides of the road leading up to Shillong from Umiam side, at the famous Ward’s Lake, New Shillong and Mawphlang.

“Our target is to plant 20,000 so that by the time Meghalaya celebrates the 50th anniversary of its creation in 2022, Shillong will become a pink city unlike the traditional pink city that we know as Jaipur,” Sahoo said.

During the day, Marak also released the special cover of the 2nd India International Cherry Blossom Festival Postage Stamp.

(Source: IANS)