5th Baokhungri Festival to be held from April 12

From our Correspondent

KOKRAJHAR, April 9: The 5th Baokhungri Festival at the historic famous Baokhungri hills situated near Kokrajhar will be celebrated from April 12 with a three-day colorful programme. The ethnic food festival, hill trekking, cultural interactions and indigenous games would  be the centres of attraction for the people. The festival is a significant step to make the Boakhungri and Chakrasilla Wildlife Sanctuary a tourist destition.

The chief of BTC, Hagrama Mohilary will iugurate the main gate of the festival while deputy chief of BTC, Kampa Borgoyary who is also the in-charge of Forest and Tourism, will iugurate the cultural pandal. The traditiol game competitions on Khomlaii and Gila will be iugurated by BTC EM of Sports and Youth Welfare, Doneswar Goyary while the Kokrajhar Deputy Commissioner Bibekanda Choudhury will iugurate the ethnic food festival and Superintendent of Police Rajen Singh will flag off the hill trekking competition.

The EM of Sports and Youth Welfare, BTC, Doneswar Goyary who is also the president of the organizing committee, will iugurate the are of Khomlaii, Gila and live cock fight in the presence of BTC Principal Secretary BC Phukan and other dignitaries.

In the hill trek competition on the hill top of Baokhungri, over 200 participants from various districts are likely to take part. The hill trekking competition is organized separately for male and female.

The auspicious day of Sankranti is most eagerly awaited by many to climb the hill top of Baokhungri hill every year and feel the divine touch of Sibrai (Lord Shiva). A Bodo legend has it that Baokhungri hill is a sacred dwelling of Sibrai and other deities. The traditiol folklore depicts that Princess Deeplai, the daughter of King Daokha, sacrificed her life in Baokhungri peak when she received the tragic news of martyrdom of her beloved prince of the neighbouring kingdom. In Bodo, Bao means to offer or propitiate and Khungri means Princess. Therefore, the me Baokhungri means a princess who offered herself to God in the me of her beloved. There is also belief that if someone climbs the hill top thrice consecutively every year on the day of Sankranti , he will be blessed with the boon of success in love and conjugal bliss.

Baokhungri hill perched at 1,491 feet above the sea level is about 10 km south-east of Kokrajhar town which is also situated in the famous Chakrasilla Wildlife Sanctuary in the north-eastern region of India, that is the home to the rarest and most endangered species Golden Languor (Presbytis Gee).

Baokhungri is a place pregnt with myths, legends and folklore. It was declared as a protected site in 1994. The Chakrasilla Wildlife Sanctuary has an area of 45.56 sq. km. The sanctuary has a tourist bungalow for the tourists in a beautiful place with sal tress around it.