Our Correspondent
Tezpur: As the luscious litchi trees planted across Tezpur by Padmanath Gohain Baruah, the first president of Axam Xahitya Xabha (AXX) and first chairman of the Tezpur Municipality and a renowned literary figure, completed 100 years this year, the city today kicked off a day-long celebration titled “ Tezpur Litchi Festival 2025”.
The event aims to celebrate the region’s and nation’s fruit heritage, support farmers and agri-entrepreneurs, and explore opportunities for value addition and market expansion. The event began with a ceremonial lighting of the lamp and floral tributes offered at the statue of Padmanath Gohain Baruah.
Tezpur litchi, the pride of Assam, was granted the prestigious Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2015, recognising its unique taste and flavour. This accolade confirms that these delectable fruits originate solely from the picturesque region of Tezpur, protecting them from imitations produced elsewhere.
Tezpur litchi is renowned for its distinctive size, shape, flavour, taste, and juicy pulp unique to this area. The fruit contains 60 per percent juice, 8 per percent rag, 19 per percent seed, and 13 per percent skin. Its high pulp and juice content make it ideal for making squash and packaged juice. Each bite of Tezpur litchi encapsulates the essence of Tezpur, a town nestled in the heart of Assam. The fertile soil and perfect climatic conditions in Tezpur create an ideal environment for these luscious fruits to thrive.
In June 2022, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma flagged off a litchi shipment to London during a cabinet meeting held at the Tezpur Convention Centre. The export initiative was made possible through the efforts of Agnigarh Agricultural Producers Company, in collaboration with Kiega AXIMS, Assam Agricultural University (AAU), Tezpur University, NABARD, and the Tezpur district administration.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also sent an appreciation letter to Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma praising the taste of Tezpur litchi.
The festival was formally inaugurated by District Commissioner Sonitpur Ankur Bharali, who lit the ceremonial lamp in front of Gohain Baruah’s statue. Among those paying tribute were Gohain Baruah’s grandsons Uday Krishna Gohain Baruah and Sanjay Krishna Gohain Baruah; Chief Executive Officer of Sonitpur Zilla Parishad Karabi Saikia Karan; Additional District Commissioner Kabita Kakati Konwar; former president of Sonitpur Zila Xahitya Xabha and renowned novelist Dr Bhupen Saikia; and Professor Dr Pritam Deb of Tezpur University, also head of the Intellectual Property Rights Cell and a member of the GI Tag Committee.
The programme was held on the premises of the Indian Red Cross Society's Sonitpur district branch, Tezpur Ganesh Ghat.
During the programme, District Commissioner Bharali emphasised the district administration’s efforts to boost litchi cultivation and productivity in Tezpur. He paid deep respects to Padmanath Gohain Baruah, noting that it was through his pioneering introduction of litchi in Tezpur that the fruit now enjoys global recognition. Although around 70 farmers currently cultivate litchi over 300 bighas in the area, further research is required to scale up both participation and production. He also highlighted that Tezpur University could play a key role in such research.
Focusing on market sustainability, Bharali stressed the importance of preserving the freshness of litchis—without discolouration of the peel—as an alternative to processed products. He called on the Agriculture Department to join research efforts that would ensure long-term market retention for fresh litchis. He assured that the administration would provide all possible help and support to achieve this goal.
The executive president of the celebration committee, Pankaj Baruah, and distinguished industrialist Hemanta Lahkar, representing the organising committee, delivered welcome speeches. In his keynote address, Dr Bhupen Saikia spoke about the 100-year legacy of the litchi trees planted by Gohain Baruah and noted that Assam ranks third in litchi production nationally, after Bihar and West Bengal. He credited Tezpur’s century-old litchi tradition to the visionary thinking of Padmanath Gohain Baruah, who initiated litchi cultivation in 1923 through a transformative project involving the restoration of ponds and plantation of grafted litchi saplings.
The "Litchi Park" established in 1835 on the elevated banks of the Dhuba ponds used by Gorkha soldiers stationed in Tezpur has now completed 100 years. With the Tezpur litchi receiving the GI (Geographical Indication) tag in 2015, it has earned a distinct identity and is now exported to countries like the UK and the USA. Dr Saikia emphasised that the annual Litchi Utsav would help promote the fruit globally.
Dr. Pritam Deb of Tezpur University, speaking as a guest of honour, stated that it has been ten years since the Tezpur litchi received its GI tag, and a review is now due. He identified three key challenges: increasing production, establishing a quality control committee, and integrating litchi cultivation with tourism. Since GI recognition is time-bound, the failure to conduct a timely review could result in its cancellation. He called for a monitoring committee to oversee quality and production improvements.
Karabi Saikia Karan, CEO of the Sonitpur Zilla Parishad, also spoke, emphasising the need for the people of Tezpur to come forward in promoting the fruit internationally. She stressed the importance of ensuring proper market linkage and suggested a tradition of planting at least one litchi tree in every household.
Following the inaugural addresses, Additional District Commissioner Kabita Kakati Konwar opened the litchi exhibition and sale, which featured a diverse range of litchi varieties. The event was organised by the joint secretaries of the celebration committee, Bishwajit Saikia and Bikram Kalita, in collaboration with local farmer Abdul Jalil.
Later in the day, seasoned experts led a discussion session on litchi cultivation and marketing strategies, which was followed by a guided tour of nearby litchi orchards.
Also Read: Litchi Day celebrated by Krishi Vigyan Kendra in Sonitpur district
Also Watch: