From a rustic tradition to world recognition, Meghalaya’s Wangala festival marks a flourishing heritage

Wangala, a harvest festival of the Garo community, went from a small tradition with less than 10 drummers to an organised event with 100 drums in 1976; fifty years later, the farmers’ event saw 1,500 dancers and 1,000 drummers celebrating the end of the period of toil in a record-breaking performan…