The third edition of four-day Destination North East festival will be inaugurated in Varanasi on Saturday by DoNER minister Jitendra Singh.
Organised by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), the Destination North East festival was previously held in Delhi and Chandigarh.
DoNER minister Jitendra Singh on Friday said the festival will provide live experience to the audience.
“All eight states will be present at the event along with their handicrafts, handloom, organic products and cultural troupes,” he said.
The minister said the idea of organising such events is to bring rest of India closer to Northeast and to have experience of the rich culture of the region.
He said that development of Northeast is on the priority of Government since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took charge.
He added that Prime Minister himself has visited NE more than 30 times during his first term.
“The development of all peripheral states is important for India to grow in a harmonious manner. Many initiatives have been taken to bring connectivity in the region,” he said.
He said that young entrepreneurs are also travelling to the Northeast to find new avenues.
He also mentioned about venture fund for start-ups and Bamboo Park being set up in Assam.
The minister said that a separate bamboo pavilion will be there at the Destination North East festival in Varanasi.
The minister informed that a Business-to-Business session has also been scheduled on one of the days for the business communities to explore opportunities in the NE states.
During the festival, the visitors will have live experiences of the artisans and artists from the NE states working on their looms and crafts, performing their songs and dances in the open stage during the day.
Indigenous games will also be performed where visitors can also participate. Live kitchens with recipes from NE and Uttar Pradesh will be serving delicacies throughout the event.
The Ganga and Brahmaputra basins offer striking similarities in terms of ancient culture, diverse handlooms and silk products, spiritual heritage and vibrant tourist hubs.
Central Government agencies like NERCORMP, CBTC, NERAMAC, NEHHDC, Lalit Kala Academy, International Centre for Cultural Relations will also be participating in the four-day-long event.
“Destination NE will have mega-stars from NE regions as well as other parts of the country lending their voices and talents to the events,” officials in the DoNER Ministry said.
Shillong Chamber Choir, Papon, Saurabhee Debbarma, Borkung Hrangkhawl, Rekha Bhardwaj are some of the leading voices who are likely to be showcased there.
Given the importance of NE vis-a-vis Organic products, food processing, tourism, water development, seminars will be held every morning on these subjects with participation of experts in the respective fields.