Revellers throng Pine City to celebrate Diwali

Shillong: Diwali and Kali Puja festivities have brought in numerous visitors from all over the country, especially from neighbouring Assam and West Bengal, to the city of pines and orchids — Shillong — which is all decked up and glittering.“Similar to the just concluded Durga Puja, almost all hotels, inns and guest houses in the city are fully occupied with tourists from far and near to spend their Diwali vacation here, which happens to fall at the weekend,” says the manager of a new guest house at the Lachumiere locality here.Taxi owners and drivers, too, are busy shuttling tourists to the scenic spots in and around the city and also to places of interest elsewhere in other places in the state.Daniel Kharpran, a local cabbie, said, “People have been making a beeline for Mawlynnong Village, reputed for its cleanliness and the living root bridges.”Ranjit, another taxi driver said, “The Indo-Bangla border town of Dawki in the Jaintia Hills has also become very popular among the tourists, who enjoy boat rides on the crystal clear Umngot River.” However, with the retreat of the monsoon, only a few number of tourists have been visiting Cherrapunjee, which earlier held the record for the wettest spot on the globe.Meanwhile, tourists and locals of the city have been pandal hopping on the occasion of Kali Puja and Diwali.“Every year, we decorate our pandal based on different themes relevant to the current situation,” says the secretary of one of the Kali Puja Committee in the Polo Hills area here.“We will be distributing ‘kichdi’ as prasad in the late hours tonight after the Kali Puja rituals are over,” says a member of the Survey of India Sarbajeneen Puja Committee in the Barik locality.Cultural programmes are also being held at various puja pandals, which have been elaborately illuminated for the festival of lights.To ensure a smooth and peaceful celebration, the police have been taking up elaborate measures across the state. “Elaborate security arrangements have been made to ensure that there are no untoward incidents during the festivals,” a police officer said.Governor Phagu Chauhan and chief minister Conrad K Sangma greeted the people on the occasion of Kali Puja and Diwali.In his social media post, Sangma said, “May the Festival of Lights brighten our lives with hope and light our homes with warmth and love. Wishing everyone a Happy #Diwali!”
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