Tourism to be key focus of North East Festival

To be held in October here, the third edition of the North East Festival -- with tourism as the main focus -- will have many attractions including football and music.

The fest attempts to showcase and create awareness about Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura. It will be held from October 16 to 18.

"The biggest cultural festival of Delhi is back. Tourism is the main focus," Shyamkanu Mahanta, the organiser-in-chief, told IANS.

"We will also promote regional festivals like Sangai, Hornbill and Rongali so that tourists can plan their visit to the northeast accordingly. There will be sessions on tourism and connectivity too," he said.

A football competition will be held from October 10 to 15 before the main event begins.

"We thought of making the fest slightly bigger... There will be around 20 Delhi colleges competing against northeastern football clubs. The prize money is Rs.5.5 lakh," he said.

Mahanta said there will also be traditional sports of the northeast too.

On display will be photographs to highlight the role played by freedom fighters from the region -- as well as tribes from the states.

"Some traditional costumes will be showcased. One can look forward to handlooms and handicrafts," he said.

Northeast food will be one of the highlights. Along with 25 food stalls offering northeast delicacies, there will be option to buy vegetables from the region not easily available in Delhi.

Two or three films from the northeast will be screened too. And there will be plays based on stories of the region.

"We are trying to bring the entire northeast under one platform," Mahanta said.

The fest has more to offer in terms of entertainment.

"There will be around 45 musical acts. Popular musicians like Lou Majaw, Zubeen Garg and Girish and The Chronicles will perform. We are expecting Rabbi Shergill to join us," said Mahanta.