Shirui Lily Festival Returns to Manipur

After a two-year pause due to prolonged conflict in the region, the Shirui Lily Festival resumed on May 20 in Manipur’s Ukhrul district.

• Organized by the Department of Tourism, Government of Manipur, the festival was first launched in 2017 and is one of the state’s two major tourism events—the other being the Sangai Festival, named after Manipur’s state animal.

• The festival celebrates the Shirui Lily (Lilium mackliniae), Manipur’s state flower, which blooms during this season.

• Held in the homeland of the Tangkhul Naga community, the festival is promoted as an eco-tourism initiative aimed at raising awareness about the rare flower and encouraging tourism in the scenic Ukhrul hills.

(Source: IE)