Bharti Airtel, India’s leading mobile services provider, has associated with MTDF (Meghalaya Tourism Development Forum) to present The Autumn Festival 2008 in Shillong.
The Shillong Carnival kick started on November 1 with a street parade consisting of over 15 tableaus accompanied by over 200 traditional dancers, pipe bands and traditional musicians from across Meghalaya. Also participating in the parade were representatives of various communities from across the North East, attired in their traditional costumes and school students from 30 schools in and around Shillong.
The MTDF had invited people from across the State to come and participate in the street parade. The street parade on Saturday started at 12 noon from the parking yard opposite the Telecom Office and proceeded towards Laitumkhrah and then headed towards Khyndailad before converging at the festival venue at the Polo Grounds.
The Star attraction of the programme was the record breaking 75 inches jelebi made by Delhi Misthan Bhandar for a record in the Limca Book of Records.
An Art and Craft Exhibition named Confluence is being held at the local Lady Hydari Park since 3rd November and will continue up to 7th November 2008
The Ward Lake famous for its scenic beauty looks splended adorned with lights on the occasion of the Festival. Special boat rides for people to enjoy the fascinating scenerio at Ward’s Lake has been organized from 4 pm to 7.30 pm during the Festival period i.e. November 1st to November 9th 2008
The Tripura Castle will play host to a Seminar on Cleaner Shillong to be held on November 6 at 5.30 pm.
The Autumn Festival is exemplary because of the public – private sector association for the promotion of Tourism in Meghalaya mainly because Government Departments such as Tourism, Urban Affairs, Forest and Sports & Youth Affairs, and a number of private sector companies ranging from multinationals like Airtel to in-house local business houses such as the Rapsang Group of Industries have come together to support the MTDF in its effort to organize the Autumn Festival 2008.
Apart from the fun & frolic the people of Shillong in the the subsequent days to come will be witness to mouth watering ethnic cuisine at the Elephant Falls, Shillong’s Cleanest Locality Award and a grand carnival of Khasi Archery at the Polo Grounds.
The Autumn Festival will finally culminate on November 9th with a grand carnival at Umiam Lake where traditional songs and dances from Meghalaya and also from other parts of the North East would be performed.
Mr. Sudipto Choudhury, Chief Operating Officer, Bharti Airtel NESA, the principal sponsors of the event said, “We are happy to associate with the MTDF for the promotion of the tourism of the state of Meghalaya and showcasing it to the rest of the world through the Autumn Festival 2008.”
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