The river beach festival which could not be held for nine years was held at the Pamdaba river beach in Ranikor, South West Khasi Hills district.
From live musical performances by various bands, Live DJ, Beach Queen Contest, Dance Troupe (The Bellas Dance Crew), Fashion Show the festival showcased the traditional game of Mawpoiñ besides volleyball and tug of war. Other attractions are camping, tambola, kid’s zone, zip lining and others.
The festival is organised by The Officer’s Club, South West Khasi Hills.
As part of the event, the office of the District Commerce and Industries Centre organized an industrial exhibition 2024 at the venue where in local entrepreneurs and units from across the district showcased and exhibited a wide range of products comprising of food and beverages, handcrafts, cloths and others.
Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Kyrmen Shylla, Ranikor MLA Pius Marwein, Deputy Commissioner Tableland Lyngwa among others were present at the inaugural function of the festival yesterday.
Speaking at the event, Shylla said with ban on coal mining in 2014, people have moved on to tourism for their livelihood. Stressing on the significance of promoting tourism, he pointed out that the sector would directly benefit the local community by creating numerous job opportunities for their livelihood. He emphasised upon the necessity for a hospitable attitude from the local community towards tourists, both from within the state and those visiting from outside so as to encourage more people to visit the area.
Marwein said the beach festival aims to yield positive outcomes by offering a platform for locals to showcase their talents in various fields, including entertainment, displaying locally crafted products, presenting traditional costumes, and highlighting the rich culture and heritage of the area while encouraging the youth, to actively participate in such events.
He also spoke about employment and emphasised that the government cannot provide jobs for every individual. He said promoting tourism would attract visitors from within and outside the state thereby creating additional job opportunities for locals to improve their income and livelihoods.
Marwein also urged residents of Ranikor area to preserve the Kynshi River and its surroundings, by refrain from polluting with chemicals and blasting that harms the aquatic life. He said that preservation of the area’s beauty would be a blessing not only for the locals but also others who will be visiting the tourist spot.
The Deputy Commissioner said the objective of the beach festival is to promote tourism in Ranikor, improve local livelihoods, and reinstate the significance of the beach and river on the tourist map. It also aims to draw tourists, assist local vendors, artisans, and entrepreneurs, while also providing a platform to showcase the rich cultural heritage, traditional attires, traditional sports, handcrafts of the region.
