Tri Hills Ensemble showcasing Meghalaya’s indigenous culture kicks off in Shillong’s central library

Shillong: The two-day Tri Hills Ensemble kicked off at U Soso Tham auditorium, State Central Library premises on Thursday. The event is showcasing the rich arts, crafts and culture of Meghalaya's three tribes — Khasi, Jaiñtia and Garo, besides commemorating the Jan Jatiya Gaurav Diwas.
Inaugurating the 3rd edition of the event, CM Conrad Sangma said, "The festival is a celebration of our culture, our society and our people. Through this festival, we aim to showcase the rich diversity and cultural identity of our people."
"Culture has a lot of power and potential as it connects us to our roots, our past, our unique identity and distinguishes us from the crowd. As a form of soft power, we are trying as a govt to harness this potential and release it for constructive purposes," the CM said.
Conrad said the govt has envisioned a road map to inspire younger generation to be proud of the culture and diversity of the state. The govt has tailored programmes that promote culture, different forms of art, music, literature and ancient knowledge and wisdom.
"We want our people to be proud of our culture, customs and language. Our events and festivals celebrate the richness of the state," he emphasized.
The CM lauded the arts and culture dept for taking the initiative to give the Captain Williamson Sangma Museum a facelift and urged the education dept to make it mandatory for education institutes to visit the museum and learn about the rich heritage and diversity of the state.
Talking about the Chief Minister's Research Fellowship programme, he said 50 scholars have been shortlisted, who are already documenting different topics of relevance on people and culture of the state.
"Our identity is our culture, our pride. It is imperative that we showcase and conserve the wisdom of our forefathers in different fields, and take it to global prominence," he underscored.
"The power of culture has the power to connect us with other cultures from around the globe and the convergence of all these aspects would bring and foster the further growth of tourism in the State," he added.
Head of India for the Welsh govt, Mitchell Theaker, was also present on the occasion.