Manipur’s Kashong peak, some 2835 metres above sea level, has once again burst out in colour.
Beginning May, the dainty Shirui Lily flowers with pale blue-pink petals have begun to blossom in full splendour, adding a further touch of beauty to an already breathtaking landscape of the peak from which many rivers of the region originate.
It is an annual ritual that attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world to Kashong – 18 km from Ukhrul town and some 97 km from the state capital Imphal.
This year, too, would be no different with tourists expected to throng the peak in very large numbers during the third week of May for the annual Shirui Lily Festival.
Shirui Lily grows only in Kashong and nowhere else in India. Given its rarity, its reputation has further grown.
Locally called Kashong Timrawon, it is also believed to be the embodiment of a protective spirit that supposedly resides in the peak. This explains the special place the Shirui Lily occupies in Manipur which officially recognises it to be its state flower.
But not everything that glitters is gold. So is also the case with the craze for the beautiful Shirui Lily.
The tourist dilemma
As Kashong readies for a fresh influx of tourists this season, anxiety over the impending rush is also swelling. Many are concerned that the tourist attraction that the Shirui Lily festival has become adversely impacts its conservation.
“The state government only promotes the Shirui Lily festival from a marketing point of view. They are not concerned about what it does to the lilies,” lamented Yaomeikan Shang, president of the local Shirui Youth Club (SYC).
Tourists descending in droves mean the flowers being mindlessly plucked and trampled upon. So much so that many locals prefer to describe the festival as a ‘festival to trample’.
Tourism also brings in its wake other attendant evils such as littering. According to locals, plastic waste carelessly discarded by visitors is endangering the otherwise pristine peak.
Volunteers of the SYC make periodic visits to the peak to clean it up. It involves an arduous trek both ways. But there is growing suspicion that their tireless efforts are not translating into real success.
A need for intervention
The biggest bottleneck in conserving the Shirui Lily is supposedly the lack of government initiatives.
Though some 41 sq km around the Kashong peak where the flower grows had been declared a proposed National Park in 1982, it remains to be accorded the status of a full-fledged park still.
In the absence of it, conservation efforts have suffered.
“Since the Shirui Kashong area is a proposed National Park, conservation of the same doesn’t fall under the purview of the district forest office,” pointed out Chermishan ASP, the range forest office of Ukhrul and Chingai.
So, who is responsible then?
There doesn’t seem to be much clarity among locals, who ask frequently why some government funds cannot be allocated for the conservation of the plants.
“While crores of rupees are sanctioned each year for the festival, there isn’t any budget or funds allocated towards the conservation of the lily,” claimed Shangh.
He does admit, however, that the annual festival has helped the local economy. Hotels, homestays and restaurants do brisk business because of the tourists.
But there are growing fears that the boom may not last long if conservation is neglected.
For the time being, it is mostly up to the volunteers to carry on the conservation tasks.
“During the peak blooming season, we need as many as 50-60 volunteers per day. The biggest challenge in this is requesting volunteers to render free service for more than two months,” added Sangh.
“But then, it is our Kashong Timrawon, and if we do not work to conserve it, who will?” point out the locals.
Lovers of Shirui Lily ought to be thankful to the volunteers for their tireless endeavour.
The lead image at the top shows Shirui Lily (lilium mackliniae) locally known as Kashong Timrawon, is the State Flower of Manipur (Photo by Chuimaran Shangh)
Worngachan A Shatsang is a freelance journalist based in Ukhrul, Manipur. He writes about football, rural life, farming and environmental issues. He is a Rural Media Fellow 2022 at Youth Hub, Village Square.
