Newmai News Network
AIZAWL, SEPTEMBER 25
[dropcap]O[/dropcap]ne of the biggest cultural festivals in Mizoram after the indigenous flower, Anthurium Festival began today at Reiek, Mizoram. The festival has been held every year since its inception in 2006 with an objective to promote tourism in Mizoram.
The opening day of the festival today was graced by State Assembly Speaker Hiphei as chief guest. ZIDCO Chairman Lalrobiaka, MLA also graced the occasion as Guest of Honour. Besides Tourism Minister John Rotluangliana, the festival saw the august presence of good number of important state government officials.
Besides large number of people from different parts of the State, tourists from outside Mizoram also came for the festival.
Inaugural programme of Anthurium Festival 2014, presided over by Tourism Director Vabeiha Hlychho, witnessed mesmerizing performances from popular singers, choirs, and cultural troupes. Besides, state handicraft products were also exhibited on the day.
About 40 different stalls were opened where Mizo cultural products including clothes, household materials, flowers and cuisines are put up for sale during the festival.Rock climbing and catapult shooting are among entertainment items during the Anthurium festival. Meanwhile, for many among the participants, the festival is a great chance to climb the Peak of Reiek Mountain, one of the most visited mountain peaks in Mizoram.
Chief guest Hiphei spoke on the value of the Anthurium festival which is one of the very few cultural festivals of the Mizos, and invited more people to come to the festival.
He said that the Anthurium Festival is not only useful for promoting tourism but also useful to bring integration among the different Mizo communities.
Speaker Hiphei also said that since the State is not suitable for setting up big Industries, Tourism needs to be promoted to boost the State’s economy. It is through Tourism that
Anthurium flower and other Mizo products may have a profitable big market, he added. It is a great achievement that Mizoram has earned Rs.4, 95, 00,000 from the sale of Anthurium, Speaker Hiphei said.
The Speaker also called on the denizens across the State to esteem and value the cultural festivals of the State.
The Anthurium Festival 2014 festival will be concluded on Saturday.
Anthurium is a popular flower all over the world and Mizoram which is blessed with the abundance of the flower has begun exporting it since few years ago.
Large number of tourists from outside Mizoram are participating in the festival.
Mention may be made here that the Anthurium Festival serves the purpose of bringing togetherness among the different tribes in Mizoram and promotes their cultures and at the same time attract domestic and foreign tourists to the beauty of Mizoram. Many farmers in Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir and Darjeeling had contributed a lot to their state economy through Anthurium cultivation, taking a note of this, Mizoram government had also taking all-out efforts to promote Anthurium cultivation among the farmers.
About over one thousand families in Mizoram are engaged in anthurium cultivation with financial assistance from the horticulture department. With hundreds of house-holds growing the flower, Aizawl district tops all other districts in anthurium cultivation. Horticulture officials said owing to the state’s suitable geographical conditions, Mizoram’s anthurium flowers are of high quality and are in great demand in other states of India and even abroad, besides the local market. Decorated and medicated anthurium flowers have been exported in huge numbers to countries like Japan, UAE, European countries through an agency called Zo Anthurium Growers Society (ZAGS) working for marketing and others improvement of anthurium farmers in Mizoram. Besides this festival, ZAGS had organisedAnthurium Exhibition- cum-Sale programmes in various places of the state to promote farmers and selling the flowers at reasonable prices to the public.
