Shillong, Sept 13: Meghalaya bagged the Golden Banyan Award on Saturday for the Cherry Blossom Festival at an event organised by The Week magazine in New Delhi.
The category of the award was under ‘Best Cultural Music & Dance.
Silver Banyan Award went to Hornbill Festival, Nagaland.
19 awards were presented at The Week Heritage Awards 2025 event at The Oberoi, New Delhi, on Saturday evening.
Meghalaya Tourism Director Brenda Lee Pakyntein received the award on behalf of the government.
She said heritage is the legacy of culture tradition and community.
Riyad Mathew, Chief Associate Editor and Director of The Week, spoke about people’s participation in heritage preservation
Recognition was for heritage tourism, riverside rituals, crafts, festivals and creative campaigns.
Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said heritage should be protected by all means.
The awardees
Heritage Tourism – Best State
Golden Banyan Award: Madhya Pradesh
Silver Banyan Award: Gujarat
Heritage Tourism – Best City / Site
Golden Banyan Award: Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu
Silver Banyan Award: Hyderabad, Telangana
Riverside Heritage Tourism
Golden Banyan Award: Rishikesh (Ganga Aarti), Uttarakhand
Silver Banyan Award: Hampi, Karnataka
Best Tourist Circuit / Trail
Golden Banyan Award: Char Dham Yatra, Uttarakhand
Silver Banyan Award: Buddhist Trail, Himachal Pradesh
Pilgrimage and Spiritual Tourism
Golden Banyan Award: Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh
Silver Banyan Award: Deoghar, Jharkhand
Traditional Skills, Crafts and Creativity
Golden Banyan Award: Rajasthan
Silver Banyan Award: Maharashtra
Best Cultural Music and Dance
Golden Banyan Award: Cherry Blossom Festival, Meghalaya
Silver Banyan Award: Hornbill Festival, Nagaland
Best Creative or Campaign
Golden Banyan Award: Rajasthan
Silver Banyan Award: Kerala
Special Editorial Awards
Odisha for its living heritage
Goa for promoting tourism through festivals
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for exemplary work in conservation and preservation
