Shillong Cherry Blossom fest shifted to Ri-Bhoi

Shillong: The Shillong Cherry Blossom festival, which was slated to get underway on November 17, has been shifted to Ri-Bhoi district this year to avoid traffic-related inconvenience, as the state capital has been reeling under traffic snarls.The festival will be held at the RBDSA Sports Complex in Madan Kurkalang, Bhoirymbong, from November 17-19. Last year, the Polo Ground and Ward’s Lake in Shillong played host to the festival.“There will be a footfall of about 30,000 visitors per day, which means that by the end of the event we will have around one lakh visitors. 90% of these visitors are expected to be tourists, including international travellers as well,” said state tourism minister Paul Lyngdoh. “The festival is a celebration of culture, art and music. This year’s edition is a medley of pop stars and DJs,” an official said.The artistes performing on the inaugural day of the festival are Sanam, Hybrid Theory, SURL, Kenny Musik, 4th Element, The Band Phantasm, DBRYN, Gwyneth, Dalariti, CYCO, Aminio, Dr Legend and Chevinia, among others. The likes American singer NE-YO, Meba Ofilia, Pink Panda, Snow White, Rahul Rajkhowa, Street Stories – Banjop, Empirical Tribe – Tenny, Zethan, Ricaa Stella and Banker Kharkongor are supposed to perform on the seconbd day of the event. The last day of the festival will witness former Boyzone vocalist Ronan Keating, Jonas Blue, Lou Majaw, Blue Temptation, Da Minot, Nokpante, Rhem, Favian, Wanjop Sohkhlet, Banrap, Youngg Nate, Meban, Lamphrang and Toshan.With Ri-Bhoi being located along NH-40, the traffic for the event will move along the Guwahati-Shillong road, Mawiong-ISBT bypass and the Mawdiangdiang bypass.An official statement said the festival offered a diverse range of activities from cosplay competitions and beauty pageants to choir contests, graffiti and art installations, karaoke contests, Ferris wheel and a thrilling zipline.Meanwhile, tourists have already begun arriving in Shillong to witness the blooming of the beautiful cherry blossoms and be a part of the festival, as well.

Lajong draw match and crowd as I-League returns to Shillong

After a four-year gap, the I-League returned to Shillong with a capacity crowd of 5,581 fans. The match between Shillong Lajong and NEROCA FC ended in a 1-1 draw. NEROCA FC, from Manipur, had to play their home matches in West Bengal due to ongoing violence in their state. The draw pushed both teams up the I-League table, with Shillong Lajong in 9th place and NEROCA FC in 11th place. Both teams will play their next home matches away from their respective cities.

Beauty hacks for festive season

Content creators share their beauty hacks for the festive season. One tip is to use either silicone or water-based makeup products, but not mix them. Another hack is to apply a little powder on the lashes before mascara for a dramatic look. Using a combination of cream-based and powder-based contour and blush products can enhance makeup and make it last longer. Lastly, applying numbing cream on the ears and feet can help enjoy the festivities without pain.

Glittering start to festival of lights

The city of Bengaluru witnessed a surge in gold and silver purchases on Dhanteras, the start of Deepavali celebrations. Gold jewellery worth around Rs 280 crore and silver articles worth Rs 21.6 crore were sold at 160 outlets participating in the Bengaluru Gold Festival. Customers flocked to jewellery showrooms as early as 7am, with over 50,000 footfalls recorded. Temple jewellery ornaments were particularly popular among buyers.

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