Syntor Bulia Festival on Dec 11-13
Shillong, Dec 8: Syntor Bulia, a picturesque village in Ri-Bhoi district, is gearing up to capitalise on the growing spirit of winter festivals and the economy around it by hosting the three-day Shyntor Festival from December 11.
The village, around 25 km from Nongpoh, lies between the serene Umsiang and Umsha rivers on the eastern edge of Ri-Bhoi district.
Home to around 450 residents across 70 households, the village is rich in natural beauty but burdened by challenges such as limited road connectivity, an absence of a motorable bridge, and seasonal flooding during the monsoon that often cuts villagers off from essential services, including healthcare.
Despite its beauty, it doesn’t even produce a single image on Google Image search!
Rosanna Lyngdoh, a festival organiser and also proprietor of Habasuk Farms, shared that it was during one of her early visits to Shyntor Bulia that she realised the farmers were struggling despite the land’s potential.
Determined to empower them, she began working closely with the community by promoting agro-based products and advocating for agroforestry as a path toward sustainable livelihoods.
Meanwhile, a plantation drive of Moringa oleifera as part of a wider campaign “Planting 10,000 Moringas in Southeast Asia” was taken up by Jharna Foundation under its SPARSH vertical. The seeds were donated by Aien Amri, the campaign’s brand ambassador in Nagaland. The goal was to make Moringa – renowned for its nutritional and medicinal value – become a catalyst for community health and income through agroforestry.
The festival is a collaborative effort led by Rongjeng Welfare Foundation (RWF), Dorbar Shnong Shyntor Bulia (village council), Habasuk Farms, Jharna Foundation — its arts and culture wing AVYANNA, Online Tent Service Centre and Film producer Rajendra Prasad (Tamil Nadu), and Rangtei Pyngrope, lead vocalist of Remnants band.
Shyntor Festival is designed to raise funds for rural development, while protecting biodiversity and empowering villagers, according to a press release.
Every detail from planning and design, to hospitality and food is rooted in the direct involvement of the local community, it said.
The festival will include live music performances, sand animation and ventriloquism shows, adventure activities and camping experiences, Khasi cuisine and culinary delights, art spaces and hands-on engagements with the community, etc.
It will provide camping tents, alpine tents, and traditional bamboo huts.
An Art Residency Program will precede the festival, curated by National Award-winning sculptor Parthasarathy Kota.
Renowned artists from Meghalaya and across the country will spend seven days in the village and exhibit their works during the festival.
