Shillong, Sept 30: Rilbong is celebrating three milestones this year.
The centenary of the creation of Rilbong as an urban habitation, the 100th Puja celebration and the completion of a century of Rilbong Sanatan Hindu Dharma Sabha will be celebrated by the residents.
Manas Chaudhuri, Chairman, centenary celebration committee and former Chief Secretary DP Wahlang Chairman of advisory committee jointly addressed a press conference here to highlight various programmes.
The events include centennial run on October 2, which is sponsored by Meghalaya Cooperative Apex Bank and food festival on October 3 sponsored by Magic Cook.
Rilbong locality came into being in 1925 with the allotment of land to the offices of British regime. Rilbong became a habitation in 1927 after houses were built and the occupants moved in.
Prior to the Puja festivities, there will be a dance recital show by indigenous communities of the country. This programme has been scheduled for October 12 organised under the aegis of ICCR, NE Zone.
The centenary celebration, which will spread over a year, will be formally inaugurated by Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on October 15 at 10.30 am.
A commemorative centennial arch will be opened by the chief minister on the occasion.
The organising committee has decided to posthumously honour 25 iconic personalities, who over the past century, have made contributions through their talents, vision and leadership qualities. Christened as “Trailblazer”, the award winners have been selected by a broad based advisory committee headed by Wahlang
The awardees are drawn from literary creativity to institution building , inspirational political leadership to spreading the light of education. Most of them have done some pioneering works in their respective fields thereby leaving indelible footprints on the sands of time.
Among others, the list includes the first Khasi poet, the first woman to become a cabinet minister in Indian political history, the man who brought electricity to Shillong and a host of luminaries.
“We expect the next of kin of the award winners will come to receive the honour from far and wide, including USA, Delhi, Kolkata, Dibrugarh, besides Shillong and its neighbourhood, Chaudhuri said.
On October 16, Governor CH Chandrasekhar will open a remodelled Puja Mandap. DG Assam Rifles Lt. Gen Vikash Lathera will be the guest of honour. The duo will hand over mementoes to 50 torch bearers of Rilbong who have served the locality with distinction.
“Every effort is being made to make the centenary Puja celebration a special one in terms of community participation, public safety, aesthetic decoration, innovative illumination and an appealing idol created by artists from Kolkata”, Chaudhuri said.
For entertainment which has been an integral part of festivities, the organisers have engaged top singers from Kolkata and Mumbai, besides celebrated Bengali stage actor Debshankar Halder and Paulami Basu (daughter of film star Soumitra Chatterjee) will put up two Bengali plays on October 23 and 24.
The organising committee is also planning to come up with a road map for the next 100 years of Shillong through dialogue with various stakeholders and experts on urban planning. This event is proposed to be held in May-June next year in collaboration with government agencies both of Delhi and Shillong.
