Shirui Lily Festival returns to Manipur after two-year break

Nursery Today    21-May-2025
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Imphal: Manipur’s famous Shirui Lily Festival has made a comeback on May 20 after a two-year break due to internal conflict. The state’s Department of Tourism has been organizing the festival in Ukhrul district, home of the beautiful and rare Shirui Lily, the state flower of Manipur. This is the first major tourism event being held in the state since the unrest got underway in May 2023. The main priority for the organizers is to provide security to the visitors.
 

The festival is celebrated during the blooming season of the Shirui Lily, which grows only in the Shirui hills of Ukhrul. It is more than just a cultural celebration — it is an eco-tourism event aimed at promoting floriculture, conservation, and sustainable tourism. The festival also showcases the traditions of the Tangkhul Naga community, who live in the region.

However, the Shirui Lily is in danger. It is already an endangered species, and a 2015 scientific report warned that climate change, human activities, and resource exploitation are damaging its habitat. The natural space where the flower grows is also being overrun by a wild dwarf bamboo species, whose strong roots make it hard for the lily to survive.

 

The festival keeps a special place because it creates awareness among people about floriculture conservation. The Shirui Lily Festival will boost the morale of the people regarding flower farming and its protection for the future of the state’s floriculture businesses.

 
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