Society / Meghalaya

Shillong, June 29: Come Saturday and designers from all over the region and Delhi will flock to Shillong to take part in Shades ’04, an event to promote textiles and designs of the Northeast. The one-day event, which will be held at Pinewood Hotel, has already attracted big names in the fashion industry. Besides a show and inauguration of a fashion gallery, the event will be spiced up with a DJ nite.

Organised jointly by the Meghalaya Tourism Development Corporation and the North East Event Management Agency, the show is the first of its kind here. It has been planned with the sole purpose of...

TURA, June 24 – For the first time in the history of the Roman Catholic church in Garo Hills, a Garo priest will assume the chair of the Bishop of Tura on the retirement of the present Bishop Rt Rev George Mamalassery. Pope John Paul II has nominated Fr Andrew R Marak as the Co-adjutor Bishop of Tura, the announcement of which was made by the Vatican Radio of Rome on Thursday, June 17, 2004.

As Co-adjutor Bishop of Tura, the Bishop-elect will assist Bishop George Mamalassery in his pastoral duties and will also be the Vicar General of the Diocese. He will succeed Bishop George Mamalassery as...

Shillong, June 22: Spirits are soaring in the Scotland of the East in anticipation of the hill getaway’s first-ever wine festival. Though the state had never before hosted a wine festival, winemaking has always been a cottage industry in these parts. Local brewers say the pronounced flavour of Mawphlang wine can enamour even connoisseurs who swear by Chardonnay or Sauvignon from the vineyards of France.

Slated for November, the Shillong Wine Festival will showcase an assortment of indigenous spirits. The festival, to be held at Crinoline Swimming Pool, is the brainchild of the Forever Young...

Shillong, June 14: Meghalaya is all set to experiment with new innovations to redraw the state’s — and the country’s — tourism map. Leading the way is chief minister D.D. Lapang, who recently unveiled plans that promise to add a new dimension to the hamstrung tourism sector in the state and bring it back on track.

“We want to start off with a number of projects. We want to make Umroi (near Barapani) Park look like the Brindavan Gardens with cable cars. A water sports centre would be set up in the Umiam lake for tourists,” the Meghalaya chief minister said.

“All this will happen in record...

SHILLONG, June 14 – Another destination was added to the tourist map of scenic Meghalaya as the state government took steps to promote Marngar Lake in Ri-Bhoi district. The enchanting Marngar Lake, about 60 km from here, surrounded by lush green hills, is a famous spot among the people of Ri-Bhoi district and even tourists from outside. The waterbed was frequented by many especially on holidays and special occasions.

Chief Minister DD Lapang, laying the foundation stone to make the place as a tourist spot yesterday, said that after taking into consideration the tourism potential of the lake...

Shillong, June 8: Meghalaya is trying to promote its tourism sector in a big way and plans are afoot to invite big names in the Indian tourism industry to run some of its major projects. The director of Meghalaya Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC), H. Shangpliang, said big names like Oberoi, Welcomgroup, Taj and even Le Meridian could soon be a part of the Crowborough hotel and multiplex project. He said the response from these groups had been “very good” and the state government was keen on privatising some of its key tourism promotion units.

Shangpliang said some other MTDC-run projects...

SHILLONG, April 2- Meghalaya has firmly established itself as a major caving region in the entire world with over 930 caves identified in the hill state till date. Meghalaya Adventurers’ Association (MAA) , a pioneer caving organization in the entire country, has so far explored 320 caves and mapped over 257 kms of cave passages. The Shnongrim-Tongseng Ridge alone in Jaintia Hills district accounts for 88 kms of mapped cave passages.

BD Kharpran Daly, General Secretary, MAA, told this to The Assam Tribune here today. Daly, himself a leading caver in India, has just concluded a 24 day-long...

Shillong, March 8: Now Shillongites can take a trip down the art lane, tippling their favourite drink at the same time. The ?happening? Centre Point Hotel?s Cloud Nine lounge bar today has more than one reason to attract the connoisseurs of art.

An art gallery, inaugurated on Saturday on the Cloud Nine premises, promises a little for now and a lot more in the days to come. Budding painters Rachel Wall, Reginald Rani and Tania Das got a much-needed break when their murals drew art connoisseurs by the dozen on the inaugural night of the studio. The gallery aims to promote young and upcoming...

Shillong, Feb. 1: Nightlife in the Meghalaya capital has gone from sedate to sizzling. The first discotheque in Shillong opened its doors to the town?s footloose and fancy-free brigade this weekend, promising to give them an ?international clubbing experience?.

The new nightspot, Platinum, is an extension of Hotel Polo Towers and equipped with the latest DJ equipment and a rocking sound system. It has, Polo Towers? regional manager Deval Tibrewalla declared, everything a party animal could desire.

?To keep the night going, we have a bevy of beverages ? from seductively named cocktails to the...

Shillong, June 9: Rescued from a brothel in Mumbai 18 months ago, 16-year-old Beena (name changed) is anxiously waiting for the day when she will get the chance to interact with resource persons from the US state department and women and children?s organisations.

Her opportunity will come on June 13. A direct video conferencing (DVC) on trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation of women and children will be held in the city to discuss cases similar to Beena?s.

Beena, who was rescued along with three others, has been rehabilitated by the Meghalaya chapter of the NGO Impulse, which trained...