Shirui Lily Festival fosters brotherhood among Manipur's ethnic groups
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- : Shirui Lily Festival fosters brotherhood among Manipur's ethnic groups (in English) : YouTube Link -

Nestled in the green hills of Ukhrul district, where clouds meet mountains and nature paints a perfect picture, blooms a rare and beautiful flower — the Shirui Lily. Known to science as Lilium mackliniae, this delicate flower grows only in the cool, misty climate of the Shirui Hills in Manipur — and nowhere else in the world. The Shirui Lily Festival is held every year to celebrate this unique flower and the rich culture of the Tangkhul Naga people. Now in its fifth year, the festival is even more special as it marks 75 years since the lily was first discovered.

S/B Pooja Elangbam
Director, Tourism, Manipur

“We have exciting events coming up starting from the drone show in the evening as well as the Sher Music corners which will be starting today and we'll take place every night after this inaugural function. We have lots of interesting flash or competition, photography and residency, art exhibition, the She Chef competition and so many more cultural activities taking place. So we are very excited to have visitors from all of our moneyport and the country and we hope that everyone will find something meaningful and take back some memories to cherish.”

S/B Soyo Wungsek
Headman of Shirui

“For this season, for this year, our message is to bring peace back in the state. So our theme is celebrating for peace and harmony in diversity. And we are also celebrating the 75th anniversary of Lily getting an award from the Royal Horticulture Show from London. So, yes, we are blessed that we are living in this era. Compared to last year or previous season, this year the lily blooming has increased.”

This year, the festival was made even more memorable with the visit of Governor of Manipur, Ajay Kumar Bhalla. His presence highlighted the importance of protecting Manipur’s natural and cultural heritage.

S/B Ajay Kumar Bhalla
Governor, Manipur

“We would like to promote it more than what we are doing now. This festival we are trying may not be very big participation, but we are using this event to promote this festival and the place and Manipur in a much bigger way in the coming one year, so that it becomes a tourism destination next time.”

Spanning four days, the festival served as a unifying celebration, bringing together diverse ethnic communities from across Manipur, as well as visitors from all corners of the country.

Anushka Karnwal
Visitor from Uttar Pradesh

“The place is really nice, the weather is really lovely and its lively also, I mean there are so many tourists around so yes, I think we pulled it off really well, we are hoping that many more people will join in and I am really liking the place”

As the Shirui Lily blooms once again, it brings to life the spirit of Manipur — proud, peaceful, and deeply connected to its roots.

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* This video and transcript was provided to e-pao.net by ANI - Asian News International
Posted on 21 May 2025 .

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