First festival displaying eastern Indian culture to kick off

In a first of its kind festival displaying arts, craft, and literature from eastern India will be organised here from March 9 to 12.
The four-day long festival named "Octave�2013", art connoisseurs of the state will get acquainted with the culture of eastern part of the country including their folk dances, musical instruments and craft.
Union Cultural minister Chandresh Kumari will inaugurate the festival on March 9, which is being jointly organised by the cultural department of Government of India along with West Zone Cultural Center (Udaipur), North Zone Cultural Center (Dimapur) and the Rajasthan Sangeet Natak Academy.
"About 400 artists, craftists, theaterists, literateurs and musicians from Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim will be participating in this festival," Chairman of Rajasthan Sangeet Natak Academy Arjun Dev Charan said.

Besides the above mentioned centres, New Delhi-based Lalit Kala Academy, Sangeet Natak Academy, Sahitya Academy amd National School of Drama will also participate in the festival.
A 'Shilp Haat' has also been conceived at the City Town Hall where the artists from eastern India will put up a live demonstration of their respective crafts.
Noted rock band from Nagaland, "Divine Connection" will be performing on March 10 and 11. Besides this, Lalit Kala Academy and Sahitya Academy will be organising an art and book exhibition respectively during the festival.