Tura; November 2026: What began with just 20 traditional drums in 1976 has grown into a spectacular celebration involving more than 1,000 drummers, as the 50th Hundred Drums Wangala Festival entered the Guinness World Records on Saturday (14th November 2026) for the Largest Wangala Dance.
The record was achieved at the Garo Heritage Village, Wangala A·dam, Chibragre, in West Garo Hills, where over 1,000 traditional Dama players performed together with women dancers and warriors in a special presentation for the record attempt.
Guinness World Records adjudicator Richard Williams Stenning from the United Kingdom announced the achievement at 15:50 hours (ISY), setting off celebrations among thousands of people gathered at the venue. A 12-member team from Garo Hills also participated in judging the event.
The record-breaking performance was the centrepiece of the Golden Jubilee edition of the festival, which has grown steadily over five decades. From its modest beginning with 20 drums, the festival expanded to 100 drums before reaching the milestone of 1,000 on its 50th anniversary, fulfilling the vision of the late P. A. Sangma.
The closing ceremony was attended by Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat as the chief guest, along with Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma; Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar; Power Minister T. D. Shira; Leader of Opposition Mukul M. Sangma were among the other dignitaries present.
Congratulating the people of Garo Hills on the achievement, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat conveyed greetings on behalf of the Prime Minister and the people of India. He described Wangala as an expression of gratitude to nature for a bountiful harvest and said the festival had considerable potential to promote cultural tourism and create livelihood opportunities for local youth. He has also expressed the Centre’s willingness to support Meghalaya in developing Garo Hills as a cultural tourism destination.
Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma thanked the organisers, performers and the community for taking the festival to the international stage. He recalled its evolution over the past 50 years and said the achievement reflected the collective efforts of the people in preserving and promoting Garo cultural traditions.
The Deputy Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition also congratulated the community, acknowledging its role in keeping the festival alive across generations.
Apart from the record attempt, the Golden Jubilee celebrations featured a dance competition among ten village contingents. Chidaogre emerged as the winner, taking home a trophy and a cash prize of Rs 02 lakh. Gondenggre secured the first runner-up position with Rs 1.5 lakh, while Sadolbra finished second runner-up and received Rs 1 lakh. All participating contingents were also given consolation prizes.
The Golden Jubilee edition also received significant government backing. According to the district administration, the state government provided Rs 20 crore through the Public Works Department for developing the Wangala A·dam venue and Rs 6 crore for organising this year’s festival. Of this, Rs 36.65 lakh was sanctioned for the Guinness World Records application, adjudication process and related logistics.
The district administration thanked the Hundred Drums Wangala Festival Committee, village contingents, Nokmas, performers, government departments, police personnel, volunteers and the people of West Garo Hills for making the event possible.
The record marks a major milestone for one of Meghalaya’s most prominent indigenous cultural festivals, taking the traditional harvest celebration of the Garo community to a global platform.
Team Maverick.
