The second edition of the Vafii Hriisopah (Zinnia) Flower Festival commenced today at the Laii Baptist Church Cartilage, marking the beginning of a five-day celebration aimed at promoting the natural beauty, floral diversity, culture and tourism potential of Laii village.
The festival, being held from September 8 to 12, 2026, is organised by the Laii Baptist Church Youth Fellowship, bringing together local residents, visitors from across Manipur, Nagaland and other states of India.
Dharun Kumar S, IAS, Deputy Commissioner, Senapati, attended the inaugural programme as the Chief Guest, while M Sheveine, MCS, SDO/BDO Paomata, & Assistant Commisioner Senapati graced as the Guest of honour. The inaugural function also witnessed the presence of several distinguished guests, community leaders, religious leaders and locals.
The organisers submitted a memorandum to the Chief Guest, Dharun Kumar S, Deputy Commissioner, Senapati praying to construct an all-weather accessible footpath from LBC to the main festival venue measuring about 600 metres, for the convenience of visitors and the public and a borewell at the venue of the festival as Laii village is situated at a high altitude and faces acute water shortages.
Addressing the gathering on the occasion, Deputy Commissioner Dharun Kumar S expressed his happiness of attending the festival. He highlighted the need to preserve and promote the natural resources, local products. He lauded the organisers of the festival for the tireless efforts in hosting the event. He encouraged the people to stay rooted and take pride in the cultural heritage, and wished for the festival to be organised in grander manner and become a source of promoting the village tourism potential and improve the livelihood of the village.
The DC along with other eminent guests also inspected the stalls and venue of the festival. Guest of honour, M Sheveine, also highlighted the rich cultural heritage preserved in the village and further assured to extend any possible assistance in the coming days.
The church campus and surrounding areas have been decorated with colourful zinnia blooms, creating a vibrant and picturesque setting for visitors. The Laii Baptist Church women is also running a grocery stall with organic locally grown varities of vegetables and crops while Peace Mark Vision English High School has a stall selling handicrafts and handlooms.
A morung has been set up to give visitors an essence of the life of Laii Vafiimai village. Apart from the flower displays, the scenic surroundings of Laii remain one of the major attractions of the festival. Nestled amid lush green hills, Laii village is known for its serene environment, panoramic views and relatively untouched natural landscape. Laii’s location also gives it a distinctive geographical and cultural character. The village shares its boundaries with several neighbouring villages in Nagaland and with several villages in Ukhrul district of Manipur. During the clear weather condition, over 50 villages can be seen from the village.
The festival also provides an avenue for local communities to showcase their talents, creativity and products. Besides the floral attractions, visitors have the opportunity to experience aspects of local culture, local cuisines, traditional practices and community life.
The second edition of the festival comes after the successful organisation of its inaugural edition in 2025 which witnessed approximately 5000 tourist from the official registered record. The organisers are hopeful that the festival will continue to grow in the coming years and attract visitors from different parts of Manipur and neighbouring states. With the festival continuing until September 12, there are various events lined up for the remaining days.
The Vafii Hriisopah (Zinnia) Flower Festival is thus emerging as a community-driven initiative to showcase Laii’s natural and cultural assets. Its second edition marks another step towards promoting the village as a tourism destination.
