Tura, Nov 30: The 4th edition of Me’gong Festival took off on a high note with India’s famous musician Gajendra Verma swaying the crowds with his hit songs to a packed audience well into the first night of this mega fest.
The much awaited and one of the biggest musical festival of the North East being organized in the picturesque landscape of Garo Hills in Meghalaya, it is the perfect representation of the fusion of Garo art and culture with the best global music that has touched music lovers from around the world.
Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh opened the festival as Chief Guest along with the Ambassador of Uzbekistan Sardor Mirzayusupovich Rustambaev, Ambassador of El Salvador Guillermo Rubio Funes, Ambassador of Jamaica Jason K M Hall and host of dignitaries and Officers of various Department of the district attended the festival.
Prominent national artists like Gajendra Verma, Euphoria, DJ Uditaa Goswami including local Rock Band from the State Haystack Ladies, Da Suraka performed with unstoppable energy creating every moment into pure magic on the First day of the Me’gong Festival.
Meanwhile, on the second day, one of the most popular and legendary international Swedish rock band of the world “EUROPE” along with Indus Creed- the rock band from Mumbai, Shanka Tribe, Restless Desire will be performing on the second day of the festival. Further, there is a separate Day Stage (MGMP) which is solely dedicated to the local artists of Garo Hills where of the Dopos, Murder in Space, Aransa, Ahaia, Strange Origins, etc.
But the night was indeed for Gajendra Verma.
He rocked the show with his hit songs like “Mann Mera” , “Tera Ghata” and “Emptiness” , making the crowd groove to his captivating voice. Gajendra Verma is a singer, songwriter and music composer who gained attention with his debut single “Emptiness (Tune Mere Jaana)” back in 2010, establishing his presence in the Indian Pop music scene with numerous songs under his belt since.
His song “Mann Mera” was a highlight in the movie ‘Table No. 21’ featuring Rajiv Khandelwal, Tina Desai and Paresh Rawal. And his hit single “Tera Ghata” gained international popularity in the year 2018, when it first came out, captivating listeners not only in India but also in Pakistan, Nepal and also in the UAE.
It may be mentioned that the permanent presenting partner of Me’gong Festival is Meghalaya Tourism and this festival is the initiative of the Department of Tourism, Government of Meghalaya. The core mission of the festival is to promote tourism in Garo Hills of Meghalaya by bringing music and nature lovers of different parts of India and world to this beautiful and culturally vibrant region of Meghalaya.
The venue for this event is a dysfunctional airport at Baljek with a tarmac strip of 1.3 kms and the entire airport campus dedicated for this event which is why despite such huge numbers the venue easily accommodate each one of them and this also clearly depicts the magnitude and the reach of this flagship event of Meghalaya Tourism. Most importantly ticket prices are kept to an absolute nominal level so that each and everyone can get access to the festival and the footfall is high.
The Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Conrad K Sangma, Meghalaya Speaker, Thomas A Sangma, Tourism Minister, Paul Lyngdoh and a host of other dignitaries are set to grace the festival.
Apart from this, the Me’gong Festival 2024 with the theme titled “Echoes of Tradition” will showcase the rich and vibrant culture of the Garo Tribe of Meghalaya. Traditional dance forms, the local brew, Garo Cuisines, traditional sports, the Garo way of life and many other such interesting and engrossing aspects will also be on display in the festival. Other added attractions of the festival are Garo Handloom and Handicraft, traditional Garo Culinary Showcase, cooking demonstration, Brew Village, Eating contest, Model Garo Village, Activity Zone, Camping Zone, Stall arena, Light and laser shows.
The festival has received tremendous response from the music and festival goers of the nation and that is evident in the ticket booking data that we have received with tickets being booked from all parts of the country.
This year’s edition will take Garo Hills closer to the rest of the country and the world and visitors can also explore this hidden paradise tucked in this beautiful state of Meghalaya and show Garo culture to the world.
