Shirui Lily Festival

Shirui Lily Festival Latest News

The 2025 edition of the festival was held after a two-year gap, caused by ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities in Manipur.

About Shirui Lily Festival

• The Shirui Lily Festival is a five-day cultural and ecological festival held in the Ukhrul district of Manipur, which is dominated by the Tangkhul Naga tribe.
• The festival celebrates the endemic Shirui Lily (Lilium mackliniae), a rare, bluish-pink bell-shaped flower found only in the Shirui Hills, about 18 km from Ukhrul town.
• The flower was discovered in 1946 by English botanist Frank Kingdon-Ward and won a merit prize at the 1948 Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) show in London.
• In 1989, the Manipur government declared Shirui Lily as the State Flower, but it is now endangered due to tourism pressures and the invasion of an exotic bamboo species.
• The festival aims to raise awareness about the ecological importance of the flower and promote conservation efforts.

Shirui Lily Festival FAQs

Q1: What is the Shirui Lily Festival celebrated for?
Ans: It is celebrated to promote the conservation of the endangered Shirui Lily (Lilium mackliniae), a flower found only in the Shirui Hills of Manipur.

Q2: In which Indian state is the Shirui Lily Festival held?
Ans: It is held in the Ukhrul district of Manipur, Northeast India.

Q3: What is the unique feature of the Shirui Lily (Lilium mackliniae)?
Ans: Shirui Lily is endemic to Manipur and blooms only during the summer, generally between May and June.

Source: TH