Shirui Lily festival begins in Manipur

Our Correspondent Imphal, April 24,(EMN): The second edition of Manipur’s Shirui Lily festival began at Shirui village in Ukhrul district on Tue. April 24. The main reason for the festival was to spread awareness about conservation of the endangered Shirui Lily and promote the district of Ukhrul as a tourist destination in Northeast region. Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh with other ministers attended the programme. Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister spoke about the number of government projects which are being taken up for the welfare of the people. He added that, currently 21 projects out of 29 sanctioned are undergoing while some of them have already been completed. While inaugurating the newly constructed women’s market complex in Ukhrul, Singh said that the market has been dedicated to the community. He also assured the people to complete blacktopping the roads in Ukhrul town within a year. Shirui Lily (Lilium mackliniae) was discovered in 1946 by Frank Kingdom Ward, a botanist from United Kingdom. It is a rare species of terrestrial lily grown found only in Manipur’s upper reaches of the Shirui hill ranges. The pinkish flower’s beauty lies in its bell-shaped petals. The festival has witnessed stalls exhibition and rock band competition. Undoubtedly, Northeast is emerging as the most popular destination for international rock bands.