Manipur to organise cherry blossom festival from Nov 26

Taking a cue from the success in Meghalaya, Manipur will now organise uts first Cherry Blossom Festival at Mao, located on the border between Manipur and Nagaland, from November 26.
The festuval is being organised by the Mao Flower Growers Association along with the Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD), a national institute of the Department of Biotechnology of the central government, the IBSD press release saud.
The festival is scheduled to be inaugurated by Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh.
Earlier this month, the India International Cherry Blossom Festival in Shillong attracted over one lakh people, the release said.

Several states in the North East such as Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland Manipur and Sikkim are now dotted with full bloom of cherry which is of the autumn blossoming variety unlike the more popular spring blossoming varieties in USA and Japan.
The festival has opened a large number of business opportunities for traditional food and handicrafts for several unemployed youth and showcased the unique culture of the region, IBSD Director Prof Dinabandhu Sahoo was quoted in the release as saying.
Since this is the peak tourist season, the people who have missed the Shillong festival can now join the Manipur Cherry Blossom Festival which will not only display the natural beauty of the cherry blossoms but also showcase the rich arts and culture of the North East, he added.