Curtains down on 44th Karbi Youth Festival

HOWRAGHAT, Feb 19: The 44th Karbi Youth Festival organized by Karbi Cultural Society (KCS) concluded peacefully here on Monday. The 44th edition of the largest and oldest ethnic festival of Karbi community was held at Karbi People’s Hall Taralango near Diphu headquarter of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC). The closing ceremony was addressed by Tuliram Ronghang, Chief Executive Member (CEM) of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC). All EMs of KAAC and many prominent persons took part in the closing ceremony.

The youth festival hosted many enjoyable performances and events this year. Various folk traditiol dances, folk traditiol songs, and Karbi modern songs competitions were held among Karbi youth artisans in Long Mirjeng achatai, Sing Mirjeng achatai, Longbi Chidu Achatai and Semson Sing Engti achatai (stages) simultaneously. A number of artistes came from Thailand and performed their traditiol dance. Foreigners from USA, Great Britain, Latvia and Thailand also attended the 44th Karbi Youth Festival. The youth festival concluded with a fashion show by well-known fashion designer Garima Saikia Garg.

The festival began in 1974 and it is held every year from February 15 to February 19. The president of reception committee and also the chairman of Karbi Autonomous Council, Haren Sing Bey said, “We are very happy that we were able to organize this festival in a peaceful way. Tourist from other parts of the world had come to the festival which is a positive sign. We want that the festival should get recognition of intertiol standard. Karbi Anglong is the largest district of Assam as well as of India. We are rich in culture and we have various tourist places which are totally unexplored. We want that people should explore these places and enjoy the charm and beauty of Karbi Anglong.” Apart from the Karbi Youth Festival, the organizations assured to host such types of the festivals in the future to promote the tribal community culture and heritage.