The Cherry Blossom trees would be on full bloom at the time of the Cherry Blossom festival in Meghalaya from November 14 this year. The third edition of the India International Cherry Blossom Festival will be a four-day event.
In 2017, hordes of tourists from across the country were left disappointed when the cherry blossom trees did not bloom at the time of the fest.
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A team of scientists and research scholars led by IBSD Director, Dinabandhu Sahoo have been travelling extensively across the Khasi Hills of Meghalaya to study the onset of flowering of the Himalayan Cherry.
They have concluded after the study that the Cherry Blossoms have already started blooming on some trees in the higher altitude hills of Upper Shillong and also in Shillong and these will be in full bloom by next week.
“However, most of the Cherry trees in and around Shillong are now at the budding stage and the flowering is expected to start next week and the full bloom is expected during November 14 to 17, which are the festival dates,” Sahoo said.
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The ISBD Director further informed that Japanese researchers from Tokyo University have shown keen interest to collaborate with IBSD and will visit Shillong during the festival dates.
“Cherry Blossoms are an excellent indicator for not only the change of seasons but also for climate change. There was this recent unexpected blooming of the Cherry Blossoms in Japan several months ahead of the usual blossoming in spring,” he informed.
It is organized by the Meghalaya government is association with the Institute of Bio-resources and Sustainable Development and the Indian Council of Cultural Relations.
The best part is it is free and open for all, whether locals or foreign nationals. A host of community events take place during the festival such as the guided night walks, live music, beauty pageants, amateur Golf Tournament.
Moreover, there will be stalls showcasing the region’s food, wine and crafts and several Japanese cultural events are lined up. A Japanese Food Pavilion and a Higher Education Stall would be installed in partnership with the Embassy of Japan in India, the organizers said.