Old meets new in Anthurium fest

Aizawl, Apr 15 (UNI) Beautiful girls clad in traditional attires waits at the Mizo traditional summer houses to greet visitors at the Mizoram's Anthurium Festival, where the old culture merge with the new.

The four-day Mizoram Anthurium Festival, aiming at promoting anthurium flowers in the world market, started yesterday about 30 kms south-west of Aizawl at the Reiek tourist resort, where the festival took palce, represented various Mizo sub-tribes, apart from interesting historical places.

''That we are having a festival in the name of a flower which our forefathers never heard of shows how fast we (Mizos) are moving ahead towards modernisation. Mizoram has attracted the country's attention to the peace and development that the state has been witnessing,'' Chief Minister Zoramthanga said.

He said Mizoram had earned a very good name in the international anthurium trade.

''The flowers from Mizoram are sold at Heathrow Airport and elsewhere in the world.'' Anthurium cultivation was introduced in Mizoram by the State's Horticulture Department five years back.

Though it is not a natural vegetation of Mizoram, anthurium, a large neotropical genus of about 600-800 species belonging to the arum family, has found a home in Mizoram with the soil and climate suitable for it, horticulture officials said.

Presently, Mizoram's Anthurium is exported to UK and Middle-East countries besides Indian cities.

''The first anthurium festival was organised last year. Over 30 lakh was generated,'' said Mizoram's Tourism Minister Z H Ropuia, adding, '' It's a platform for anthurium growers to exhibit their products and thereby generate income.'' The festival has anthurium flowers being sold at subsidised rates and display of anthurium arts.

It also includes various Mizo tribes showcasing their cultures, and singers and models entertaining the crowd in modern ways.

One can also witness what the old Mizo homes and villages looked like.

UNI