Shirui Lily Festival | 22 May 2025

Source:IE 

After a two-year hiatus due to ethnic conflict, Manipur’s Shirui Lily Festival returns in 2025, symbolizing both a cultural revival and a cautious attempt at restoring inter-community movement and peace in the state. 

• Shirui Lily: The Shirui Lily (Lilium mackliniae), Manipur’s State Flower, is a rare pinkish-white bloom found only in the Shirui Hills of Ukhrul district.  
  • It was discovered in 1946 by Dr. Frank Kingdon Ward, and was named after his wife, Jean Macklin. The flower received the Royal Horticultural Society’s merit award in 1948. 
  • It blooms from April to June, grows about a foot tall, and has a bell-shaped flower. 
  • The Shirui Lily is endangered, with climate change, habitat loss, and invasive species like wild dwarf bamboo contributing to its decline. 
• Shirui Lily Festival: First held in 2017, the festival is one of Manipur’s two major tourism events (the other being the Sangai Festival).  
  • The Shirui Lily Festival celebrates ecotourism, Tangkhul Naga culture, and conservation. It features music concerts, cultural performances, and other community events.