TURA, Oct 6: One of the leading lights behind the establishment of the 100 Drums Wangala Festival in the Garo Hills, Leander K Marak, is no more.

The veteran cultural and traditional icon behind the biggest traditional festival of the garos breathed his last in Tura on Thursday evening after battling age-related illness.

Late Leander K Marak was one of the first and also the last of the original founding members of the 100 Drums Wangala Festival which began at Asanang field in Rongram, 18 kms from Tura, when the festival became the centre stage of the traditional fest as way back as 1976.

The 100 Drums Wangala Festival was launched as an annual mega celebration to preserve and also showcase to the world the rich cultural diversity of the Garo tribe.

For well over 20 long years, Leander K Marak led the committee in successfully organizing the biggest cultural festival of the Garos- first at Asanang for well over four decades, and most recently in the new permanent site called Wangala “A.dam” in Chibragre region on the banks of the Ganol river under Rongram block jurisdiction.

The Wangala Festival became a household name not just within Garo Hills but its fame spread beyond the seven seas drawing tourists from as far as the United states and Europe who were eager to witness the unique dance with colorful costumes of the garos by the young men and maidens and the scintillating beat of the hundred drums in unison during the fest.

Initiating the festival and transforming it to become the biggest annual harvest festival that drew crowds in the thousands was no mean feat for the organisers such as Late Leander K Marak.

His colleagues within the committee recall how the late leader managed to mobilize his team and well-wishers to host the colorful festival with funds as little as a meagre five thousand rupees.

There has been no turning back from there, as the festival has gone on to become a world-wide sensation with tourists from across the globe flocking to the annual Wangala festival venue held for a three day event during the first week of November, each year.

“His dedication and selfless service to keep the traditional dances and festival of the Garos can never be forgotten,” recall former members of the 100 Drums Wangala Committee.

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