The Jorhat Races, the only one of its kind in the

Northeast, is Assam's equivalent to European or American festivals like Oktoberfest in Bavaria, La Tomatina in Spain, or even Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Borkakoty said. "While those festivals have beer, tomatoes or music as their anchor points the Jorhat Races have horses and racing as its central theme," he said. The first Jorhat Races were held on January 16, 1877. The event has witnessed highs and lows of the tea industry from the British Raj to independence and beyond. The idea behind the Races was to showcase the equestrian skills of planters in a carnival like atmosphere where all levels of workers in tea plantations could be thoroughly entertained, Borkakoty said. The Races remain a reflection of the past and a major milestone in the tea industry's history and heritage, he added. In the mid 1900s, planters stopped using horses for their daily rounds and the very existence of the Races came under threat, but Scottish ingenuity prevailed and a way was found by bringing in the riders of the Mishing tribe and horses from Kokilamukha and Jhanjhimukh for running the races. The Mishing tribesmen have raised horses for generations to assist them in farming and transportation. Subsequently thoroughbred tea garden horses were replaced by Mishing ones and the Races were reborn with the tribals riding bareback. The Jorhat Races suffered a setback in 1990 and were not held for three years since 1991 due to disturbances in the state but were revived in 1994. Even, the races could not be held during the period 2004 to 2007, probably due to the economic crisis that had gripped the tea industry, but it was again revived in 2008.