The fourth edition of Rongali Festival, which celebrates the vivid colours of Assam, will begin on Friday. The three-day fest will showcase the culture of communities of the north eastern state and give a platform to 75 musicians and housewives, who will exhibit their culinary skills, designers, cyclists and more.
“We are bringing different communities together through this festival. For example, the Mising community will showcase its history through a dance form. Folklores will be shared. It will be a colourful festival and visually appealing,” said Shyamkanu Mahanta, chief organiser of Rongali.
The fest will take place at the Srimanta Sankaradev Kalakshetra. The Rongali Art Carnival will bring young artistes of the region for doodles, string art, graffiti and more. Around 10 magicians will also show their talent and tricks. A traditional food competition will bring around 60 participants who will whip up vegetarian, non-vegetarian and sweet dishes.
“There will be around 35 stalls and a food competition. Housewives from Assam will be participating as well,” said Mahanta.
As much as he wants the country to know more about his home state, he also wants Guwahati to be the best destination for music lovers. Home-grown singers Zubeen Garg and Papon as well as several rock bands are set to perform at the festival.
{{/usCountry}}As much as he wants the country to know more about his home state, he also wants Guwahati to be the best destination for music lovers. Home-grown singers Zubeen Garg and Papon as well as several rock bands are set to perform at the festival.
{{/usCountry}}“We are getting a good line-up. There will be a rock band competition too. Around 50 bands are participating. Some are from Bengaluru, Bhutan and other places. We are trying to make Guwahati the hub of music in India,” said the organiser.
Apart from Assamese singers like Neel Akash, Kussum Kailash and Zublee Baruah, the Raghu Dixit Project and DJ Nucleya are also part of the line-up. Around 20 designers will take centrestage and present their creations, flaunted by 30 models of the region.
Sports has also been given importance by the organisers. “We will have a traditional boat race. It is similar to the boat races in Kerala,” said Mahanta. In addition, a Rongali Tourism Cycle Rally was organised on Thursday to create awareness about Assam as a destination for cycling.
Rongali is organised by Trend MMS — a socio-cultural organisation of northeast India — which also hosts the North East Festival in Delhi.
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