Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has inaugurated the five-day Sunrise Festival at Dong Valley in Anjaw district, describing it as a long-term initiative aimed at promoting sustainable tourism and strengthening local entrepreneurship.
Declaring the festival open, the Chief Minister said the event has been conceptualised to create meaningful livelihood opportunities for local communities while encouraging responsible and eco-friendly tourism practices.
He also noted that the festival is expected to provide a platform for local entrepreneurs and small businesses to grow by showcasing the region’s unique natural and cultural heritage.
Sharing details on social media, Khandu said the Sunrise Festival has been planned with a clear vision to ensure inclusive development. He emphasised that the festival would adhere strictly to the principle of “leave no trash, leave no trace,” underscoring the government’s commitment to environmental sustainability.
"Declared open the 5-day Sun Rise Festival at Dong. Conceived with a long-term vision, the festival is expected to create meaningful opportunities for local entrepreneurs, encourage sustainable tourism, and help small businesses flourish. A decade from now, the goal is to see this festival grow while strictly following the principle of ‘leave no trash, leave no trace’," Khandu wrote on X.
He further added that the aim is to see the festival evolve steadily over the next decade while maintaining ecological balance.
The Chief Minister highlighted that the festival holds immense potential for Anjaw district and Arunachal Pradesh as a whole, particularly in positioning the state as a destination for responsible tourism.
"It holds immense potential for Anjaw district and Arunachal Pradesh as a whole," he added.
Dong Valley is known as one of the first places in India to see the sunrise, and this forms the main idea behind the festival. Through the Sunrise Festival, visitors are invited to experience the first sunlight of the day as it falls on Indian soil.
The Sunrise Festival 2025–26 is planned as a meeting point for local communities, artists, explorers, scholars and travellers from across India and outside the country, with the idea of celebrating new beginnings from the easternmost part of India.
The five-day event is an effort to bring Arunachal Pradesh into focus on the tourism map, highlighting its natural beauty, culture, adventure and heritage, along with New Year celebrations centred around the rising sun.