Shillongites rings in New Year

A CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG, Jan 1: Meghalaya ushered in the New Year with a brilliant display of fireworks even as revelers especially the young welcomed 2016 with the Second Edition of Shillong Midnight Festival at Polo. This edition of the festival saw local acts Summersalt, Colours, Dosser’s Urge, Blue Temptations and Groove Revolution sharing the stage with  traditiol drummers ensemble, the Megha Rockers dance troupe, DJs Rex and Favian, as well as the new disco sounds of Australian DJs Frankie and Karu with their trap, hip hop and deep house music. Thousands of young revellers were seen enjoying the various performances of the artists. On New Year’s Eve all the roads were leading to Polo with streets choc-a-bloc with cars and revelers.

The partying went on till the first morning of 2016.

In another part of the city the more adventurous citizens took part in the Midnight Swim.

Around 20 odd participants took part in the event at the Crinoline Swimming Pool in the city was organized by the Forever Young Club with the objective of praying to the Almighty for strength to face the challenges of the New Year. Eighty blocks of ice each weighing 50 kgs will be put inside the pool, for the occasion. One 63 year old heart patient – Willaim Marbaniang took part in the ‘’swim”. According to Marbaning this is his seventh year in the event and is part of it purely to demonstrate his “endurance”. Meanwhile, in Jowai, the district headquarters of West Jaintia Hills, the Jaintia Tourism and Environment Society (JTES), a group of tourism entrepreneurs and facilitators organised New Year celebrations.