Aimed to promote tourism in the region, the second Living Roots Festival, which will also act as the 125th jubilee celebration of Tyrna Elaka, will be held on December 7-8 at Tyrna village.
Organised by the Tourism Management Committee Dorbar Shnong Tyrna Elaka in collaboration with India Tourism, Special Purpose Vehicle Society and Tourism Department, this festival was first held in 2018.
This year, a beauty pageant – Miss Living Root – will be held for participants of Shella constituency only where the winner will take home a cash prize of Rs 30,000, with second and third-placed finishers receiving Rs 15,000 and Rs 10,000 respectively. Twenty participants will be selected for the contest.
Addressing reporters today, secretary of the village’s tourism committee, W Majaw, said that Tyrna is home to three living root bridges, including the second-longest in Meghalaya, which is around 85 feet, and hundreds of tourists visit the place, especially in winter.
He said that the longest bridges have the capacity to carry more than 10 people at a time but the village only allows two at a time to preserve the bridge, which is maintained and nourished every summer by local experts in the field and cleaned annually.
“The tourism management committee also aims to explore more tourist spots in Tyrna and further promote tourism in the region,” he said, adding that these tourist spots have led to the creation of over 100 jobs, including for those running small shops.
Earlier, the Sordar of the Tyrna Elaka, Andreas Wansai, said that the massive 1897 earthquake destroyed the old Tyrna village, which forced residents to move their dwellings uphill and that led to the creation of the current Tyrna village and they will be celebrating its 125-year journey.
