Shirui Lily Festival - Manipur

The Shirui Lily Festival is an annual event in the state of Manipur. It is organized by the Manipur Tourism Department and spans five days of merriment. This festival has a deeper significance than what meets the eye; it is an earnest effort on the part of the Manipur Government to raise environmental awareness among its citizens.

What is Shirui Lily Festival?

The Shirui Lily Festival is an annual cultural event that spans multiple venues in Manipur and is typically held in the month of May the blooming season of the Shirui Lily, the state flower of Manipur. It comprises varied events of traditional and cultural nature, like live music, folk dances and songs, indigenous games, local food, exhibitions of art and crafts, handicrafts, and many more.

Interesting Facts About Shirui Lily Festival

• This festival, until the year 2016, was celebrated primarily at the local community level. However, recognizing the deep cultural essence that it held, the government decided to expand its ambit. From 2017 onwards, this festival began to be celebrated at the State level
• In the year 2019, however, these celebrations had to be postponed owing to the elections taking place in the state
• The major highlight of this festival is ShiRock, a musical event of live performances and competitions by various rock bands
• This rare flower - Shirui Lily - was not even discovered until the mid-twentieth century

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Significance of Shirui Lily Festival

The Shirui Lily is Manipur's state flower, and in recent years, it has become an endangered species.

The Shirui Hill in Ukhrul the only place where this lily grows is a tourist hotspot due to high tourist footfall and irresponsible sightseeing practices, there are fewer numbers of this lily each year.

To conserve this rare species of lily, and to promote sustainable tourism with a focus on responsible, considerate behaviour, the Shirui Lily Festival is celebrated as a marked herald of sustainability and responsible tourism.

Highlights of Shirui Lily Festival

The Shirui Lily Festival is a sensory delight that hosts live music, song and dance, food, art and craft and much more.

It is hosted in the Ukhrul district that houses the Shirui Peak a hotspot where Shirui lilies grow (above the height of 8,500ft AMSL). Shirui Hills are the most popular trek in Manipur.

The festival honours the beauty of Shirui lily and aims to spread awareness about its conservation and responsible tourism. The Shirui Lily Festival is a really important festival, celebrated annually in Manipur. It spans five days and is an earnest effort towards the conservation of the environment because that should be our first and foremost priority.

FAQs on Shirui Lily Festival

Q.1. Which state does Shirui Lily Festival belong to?

This Shirui Lily Festival is celebrated in Manipur every year.

Q.2. Which government body organizes Shirui Lily Festival?

This Shirui Lily Festival is organized by the Manipur Tourism Department every year.

Q.3. What is the Shirui Lily Festival date?

The Shirui Lily Festival is celebrated from the last week of May through the first week of June.

Q.4. In which district is the Shirui Lily Festival celebrated?

This Shirui Lily Festival is celebrated in the Ukhrul district.

Q.5. For how many days is the Shirui Lily Festival celebrated?

This Shirui Lily Festival continues goes on for five days.