Book lovers, literary enthusiasts, poets, authors and academics from across the state converged at the Bodousa Samannay Kshetra at Bordumsa in Tinsukia on the second day of the 74th biennial conference of the Asom Sahitya Sabha on Thursday.
The 5-day event of the state’s apex literary body began on Wednesday which saw the participation of hundreds of enthusiasts from the state and neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh.
For the first time in the Asom Sahitya Sabha’s history, several events of the literary extravaganza will be held in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh, which is just 9-km away from the conference venue.
The idea for a joint venue was mooted by the literary body this year with the aim of strengthening the ties between the two neighbouring states.
On Thursday, the vice president of the Asom Sahitya Sabha Prahlad Tasa unfurled the Sabha flag in the absence of president Dhrubajyoti Bora, who had to be admitted to a Delhi-based hospital on Wednesday for a health related issue.
Several programmes including academic and cultural seminars, ethnic shows, traditional sports, book releases and cultural programmes were organised on Thursday.
On Friday, a huge cultural procession will be taken out from the Singpho Heritage Centre located on the Arunachal side to the Bodousa Samannay Kshetra covering the 9-km distance.
An estimated 10,000 people from either state are expected to participate in procession, an organiser said.
The newly elected president Parmananda Rajbongshi is supposed to take charge of the literary body along with other elected members during the ongoing conference.