The Shirui Lily festival returns to Manipur on Tuesday (May 20) after a two-year pause because of the long-drawn conflict in the state. This will be the first major tourism festival to be hosted by the state since the start of the conflict in May 2023, making safety concerns and elaborate security arrangements an integral part of the preparations this year. What is the festival, what makes the Shirui Lily special, and what are the threats both the festival and the flower are facing? What is the Shirui Lily festival? The Shirui Lily Festival is organised by the Manipur government’s Department of Tourism. First held in 2017, it is one of two major tourism festivals organised by the state government. While it is named after the Shirui Lily, or the Lilium mackliniae, recognised as the state flower of Manipur, the other major festival is named after the Sangai, or the Manipur brow-antlered deer, recognised as its state animal. Story continues below this ad The Shirui Lily festival coincides with the blooming season of this rare …