<p>From fashion to food, one can find a touch of northeast India in almost every sphere.<br /><br /></p>.<p> Especially a Delhiite would agree to this statement since a number of festivals dedicated to the north-east have been organised in the Capital recently. <br /><br />Amidst these one wonders, what is the need for another festival with a similar name? “This festival is not organised to showcase only fashion but initiate a communication between people of the north-east with other states and also among the various communities living in the north-east,” says Shyamkanu Mahanta, organiser-in-chief of the ‘North East Festival 2013’ which recently concluded at Indira Gandhi National <br />Centre for the Arts.<br /><br />Spanning over two days, the festival was organised in the format of a carnival with live music and dance performances engaging the visitors throughout the day in the amphitheatre and serious discussions on business, economy, socio-political issues of the region engrossing the intellectuals in the conference halls. <br /><br />Covering a vast variety and highlighting the concern of increasing tourism in the region, the fest answered all questions that were raised pertaining to its very existence. “We have tried to create a package (in tourism) that is more saleable,” informed Shyamkanu as he pointed towards the stalls from the seven sisters (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura) and one brother (Sikkim). “One might not want to go to just Assam for a trip but would like to visit all the states in one go,” added the entrepreneur explaining about the statistics that can help in expanding the tourism opportunities.<br /><br />Probably, it was for the first time that a participation from all the north-eastern states was visible in a fest dedicated to them. The effect could be felt in the conference rooms too. The festival reached new heights with the presence of personalities like Montek Singh Ahluwalia (Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission) during the opening ceremony and actor Adil Hussain and Olympian MC Mary Kom supporting the cause as brand ambassadors. <br /><br />People hailing from the region of north-east, came in from all areas to be a part of the festival. On day one, the seminar on uniqueness and issues of north-east security, Look East Policy and an interaction with north-east students on security and other issues in Delhi remained the highlight during the day. As the evening approached, the cultural performance by musicians and dancers - Guru Rewben Mashangva (Manipur), Mami Varte (Mizoram),Omak Komut Collective (Arunachal Pradesh), BK Hrangkhal (Tripura), Alobo Naga and The Band (Nagaland) overwhelmed <br />the audience.<br /><br />The evening turned magical on day one and set a benchmark for the next day which began with a B2B session on north-east Tourism - Paradise Unexplored. This was followed by success stories from the north-east. Later during the day, the chance to interact with north-east icons such as Mary Kom, Adil Hussain and Ratan Thiyam (Chairman, National Schools of Drama), drew huge numbers to the venue.<br /><br />The visitors stayed back to witness a fashion show which showcased north-east handloom and jewellery by North East Designers and models. The concluding performance was by Kalpana Patowary & Lou Majaw, Alobo Naga and team which made the audience wait in high hopes for the next edition of the festival!<br /></p>
<p>From fashion to food, one can find a touch of northeast India in almost every sphere.<br /><br /></p>.<p> Especially a Delhiite would agree to this statement since a number of festivals dedicated to the north-east have been organised in the Capital recently. <br /><br />Amidst these one wonders, what is the need for another festival with a similar name? “This festival is not organised to showcase only fashion but initiate a communication between people of the north-east with other states and also among the various communities living in the north-east,” says Shyamkanu Mahanta, organiser-in-chief of the ‘North East Festival 2013’ which recently concluded at Indira Gandhi National <br />Centre for the Arts.<br /><br />Spanning over two days, the festival was organised in the format of a carnival with live music and dance performances engaging the visitors throughout the day in the amphitheatre and serious discussions on business, economy, socio-political issues of the region engrossing the intellectuals in the conference halls. <br /><br />Covering a vast variety and highlighting the concern of increasing tourism in the region, the fest answered all questions that were raised pertaining to its very existence. “We have tried to create a package (in tourism) that is more saleable,” informed Shyamkanu as he pointed towards the stalls from the seven sisters (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura) and one brother (Sikkim). “One might not want to go to just Assam for a trip but would like to visit all the states in one go,” added the entrepreneur explaining about the statistics that can help in expanding the tourism opportunities.<br /><br />Probably, it was for the first time that a participation from all the north-eastern states was visible in a fest dedicated to them. The effect could be felt in the conference rooms too. The festival reached new heights with the presence of personalities like Montek Singh Ahluwalia (Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission) during the opening ceremony and actor Adil Hussain and Olympian MC Mary Kom supporting the cause as brand ambassadors. <br /><br />People hailing from the region of north-east, came in from all areas to be a part of the festival. On day one, the seminar on uniqueness and issues of north-east security, Look East Policy and an interaction with north-east students on security and other issues in Delhi remained the highlight during the day. As the evening approached, the cultural performance by musicians and dancers - Guru Rewben Mashangva (Manipur), Mami Varte (Mizoram),Omak Komut Collective (Arunachal Pradesh), BK Hrangkhal (Tripura), Alobo Naga and The Band (Nagaland) overwhelmed <br />the audience.<br /><br />The evening turned magical on day one and set a benchmark for the next day which began with a B2B session on north-east Tourism - Paradise Unexplored. This was followed by success stories from the north-east. Later during the day, the chance to interact with north-east icons such as Mary Kom, Adil Hussain and Ratan Thiyam (Chairman, National Schools of Drama), drew huge numbers to the venue.<br /><br />The visitors stayed back to witness a fashion show which showcased north-east handloom and jewellery by North East Designers and models. The concluding performance was by Kalpana Patowary & Lou Majaw, Alobo Naga and team which made the audience wait in high hopes for the next edition of the festival!<br /></p>
