North-East Festival Returns to Delhi with Food, Fun and Fashion

The North East Festival, which aims to promote northeast India, is back in the capital with stalls offering northeastern cuisine, handloom products and performances by Assamese singers like Papon and Zubeen Garg. The three-day festival, will see performances by artistes like rapper Borkung Hrangkhawl, heavy metal bands Pulse Pandits, Girish & Chronicles (GATC) and Traffic Jam.

The fifth edition also has the NEF Rock Battle, which will see rock bands of Delhi colleges competing against each other. The winner will win a cash prize and also get a chance to perform on the final day of the festival.

One can witness about 30 dance forms like Naga warrior dance, Hojagiri of Tripura, Bamboo dance of Mizoram, Wangala dance of Meghalaya and much more.

This year, a separate stage has been dedicated to fashion. There will be fashion shows. Buyers and sellers can also meet. There is a beauty section too. Hannahs Micro Beauty Tech's stall will definitely attract those who have thin eyebrows and want beautiful lips.

"I am participating in this festival for the first time. Whether it is shaping or pigmenting eyebrows, we can help people. There is also lip colouring. This is specifically for people with oriental features," Hannah A. Blazie, CEO of Hannahs Micro Beauty Tech, told IANS here.

As you enter the festival's venue - Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, Janpath, you will find about 200 stalls selling Assam tea, saris, shawls, scarfs and furniture made of bamboo, among other things related to northeast India.

Amidst the colourful set-ups, you will find a stall by Delhi Police.

Asked about it, Shyamkanu Mahanta, the fest's Chief Organiser, told IANS here: "Delhi Police is helping us to connect with people here. They are providing buses for RWAs in Delhi, especially from Munirka and Lajpat Nagar where a lot of people from northeast stay. This way they can know more about the region."

There is also a stall of Delhi State Legal Services Authority. "People are coming to the festival for food and fun, but if they want some legal assistance, we can provide help. If there is a pending case in any court, they can come to us. We will help them," advocate Eliza Rumthao told IANS.

There is also a B2B Meet on Tourism.