Shirui Lily Festival 2025 Kicks Off in Manipur After a Gap of Two Years

 Guwahati: The Governor of Manipur Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Tuesday inaugurated the 5th State-Level four-days long Shirui Lily Festival, at Heritage Ground, Vangayan in Shirui Village, of Ukhrul in Manipur.

The Shirui Lily festival was hosted in the state after a pause of two-year because of the long-drawn conflict in the state. This is also going to be the first major tourism festival to be hosted by the state since the start of the conflict in May 2023, so the state administration has made elaborate security arrangements.

The authorities are of the view that the Shirui Lily festival could see the first major movement of Meitei people through Kuki-Zo settlements in two years. The Manipur State Transport has also made elaborate plans to facilitate movement of residents to the venue of the festival from the valley to the hills.

Organized by the Manipur department of tourism, this year’s edition holds special significance as it commemorates the 75th anniversary of Manipur’s iconic and endangered state flower — the Shirui Lily (Lilium Mackliniae).

The Shirui Lily Festival celebrates the delicate and endangered Lilium Mackliniae, which blooms from April to June exclusively in the Shirui Hills— a region that cannot support replanting elsewhere. The festival takes place during the peak blooming season of the flower, underscoring its ecological importance.

The festivities at the festival aims at to feature a vibrant mix of activities for all age groups, featuring cultural performances, poem recitation, souvenir release and the launch of the flower show and art exhibition

Highlights include a pork eating contest, the first round of the She Chef cooking competition, and adventure activities like camping, ziplining, and biking at Jorcheng from 11 am to midnight, along with an acoustic evening.

The organisers said that a football match will kick off at 5 pm at Ramngashim Turf Ground, and movie screenings will begin at 2 pm at TTA Hall. The day will conclude with a dazzling drone show and high-energy performances at the ShiRock music festival at Bakshi Ground.

It is significant that the Shirui Lily is a rare and captivating pinkish-white flower found only in the Shirui Hill range in Ukhrul district. Named after Jean Macklin, the wife of botanist Dr Frank Kingdon Ward, who first discovered the flower in 1946, the Shirui Lily gained worldwide recognition when it was awarded a prestigious merit by the Royal Horticultural Society at its London Flower Show in 1950.

The hills of Shirui, covered with these vibrant lilies, offer stunning panoramic views, making it a popular destination for nature lovers and photographers.