Guwahati: In the shadow of the famed grasslands of Assam’s Kaziranga, where rhinos graze and migratory birds descend each winter, a different kind of gathering is set to unfold next year.
The Kajir Ronghangpi Heritage Fair 2026, scheduled from March 7 to 10 at Tribal Treats in Bogorijuri, aims to bring together heritage, biodiversity, and sustainable enterprise on a single platform.
Positioned as a landmark initiative for Northeast India, the four-day event seeks to weave together indigenous culture, conservation, and responsible tourism under the theme “Wild, Weave, Harvest.” Organisers expect more than 5,000 visitors, including tourists, policymakers, conservationists, institutional buyers, and entrepreneurs from across the country.
A representative of the organising committee said the fair is a collective effort rooted in the Kaziranga–Karbi Anglong landscape. “We want conservation, culture, and commerce to move forward together. This platform is about strengthening livelihoods without compromising identity or ecology,” the representative said.
The fair is being organised by the Kajir Ronghangpi Heritage Fair Organising Committee in collaboration with the district administrations of Golaghat, Nagaon, and Karbi Anglong, along with officials from the Tourism and Forest Departments, Biodiversity Management Committees, community institutions, producer groups, and leading conservation and research organisations.
Senior government and institutional representatives are expected to attend the formal inauguration on March 7 at 3 pm, reflecting the fair’s growing significance as a regional development platform.
At its heart, the fair celebrates the cultural identity and ecological knowledge of the Karbi and other indigenous communities who have long lived alongside the forests and wildlife of the region.
The Heritage Exhibition will showcase native wild edibles, indigenous seed diversity, traditional Karbi rituals, and art forms.
Visitors will witness live demonstrations of bamboo craft, back-strap weaving, natural dyeing, jewellery-making, and traditional tea processing. Indigenous games, language sessions, and a curated traditional food corner will add warmth and flavour to the experience.
Beyond celebration, the fair is designed as a structured marketplace. Farmers, agroforestry producers, women-led self-help groups, forest-fringe communities, handloom and handicraft artisans, non-timber forest product collectors, and community-based ecotourism enterprises will have space to display and sell their work.
A dedicated business-to-business platform will facilitate buyer–producer meetings, helping local entrepreneurs access wider markets while ensuring fair value and dignity for their products.
The event will also host thematic seminars and panel discussions focusing on solid and liquid waste management in tourism areas, renewable energy adoption, low-carbon tourism practices, community-led biodiversity conservation, and youth entrepreneurship.
The discussions aim to position the Kaziranga–Karbi Anglong landscape as a model where economic growth does not come at the cost of ecological balance.
Set near the globally renowned Kaziranga National Park, the fair seeks to extend the idea of conservation beyond protected boundaries, reminding visitors that landscapes are shaped as much by communities as by wildlife.
For local artisans, farmers, and youth, the Kajir Ronghangpi Heritage Fair is more than an exhibition. It is an opportunity to tell their stories, share their skills, and claim their place in a changing economy.
For policymakers and visitors, it offers a glimpse of how heritage and green livelihoods can grow side by side in one of India’s most ecologically rich regions.