With a view to promote business and tourism, the 3rd edition of ‘Colours of North East’ – a festival to celebrate the beautiful diversity of the region, was held yesterday in Mumbai. The iconic Taj Mahal Palace played the perfect host, as the resplendent culture of North East captivated the audience with a medley of music, dance, fashion, food, handicrafts and much more.
The third edition was bigger and better than ever with support from various North Eastern States and Taj Group of Hotels. The initiative was driven by the reputed socio-cultural trust of North East, Trend MMS as a part of the North East Festival initiative. IndusInd Bank was the presenting sponsor of the event.
Colours of North East showcased a beautiful presentation of the diverse North Eastern culture. To celebrate the soulful sounds of the region, the evening featured Mangka – an artiste from Laihui, Imphal and Rida & The Musical Folks from Shillong, Meghalaya.
A dance performance by Madhurima Choudhury and team, who presented a medley dance of the tribes of North East and a performance by well-known violinist Sunita Bhuyan enthralled the audiences. A breathtaking presentation of the Cheraw dance left everyone spellbound. Performed in Mizoram, Cheraw is characterized by the use of bamboo staves which are kept in cross and horizontal forms on the ground.
The evening also saw a colorful fashion presentation by the top designers of the region - Asa Kazingmei (famous for Salman Khan’s dress in Sultan), Nabam Aka and Arita Kashyap. Delectable North Eastern cuisines were a highlight of the evening as well, especially prepared by Chef Karen Yepthomi of Dzukou Tribal Kitchen and the chefs of IORA Resort, Assam. An exhibition displaying North Eastern handloom and handicrafts products was also showcased.
The North East region, which is abundant with natural beauty has great scope for tourism and a policy for promoting film shoots in the North East which was discussed as well. Meghalaya Chief Minister Mr. Mukul Sangma, Chief Secretaries of Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Tripura and top officials of Sikkim, Manipur were also present to attend the gala event. The evening also witnessed celebrities like director Ayan Mukherjee, singer zubin garg, anchor Siddharth Kak, singer Joi Barua, National FIl award winning sound artist Mr. Debajit Changmai and Bollywood sound designer Amrit Pritom from the film industry and some of the top industrialists of Mumbai, who were present to support the initiative.
To round off the evening, exquisite cocktails inspired by the North East, curated by Diageo Reserve Brand Ambassador Varun Sudhakar were on offer. These included The Seven Sisters, an earthy concoction of ginger & honey syrup combined with Johnnie Walker Black Label and Assam tea; The Tea Collins, peppermint tea poured over smashed Mint of the famed northeastern greenery where Citrus and Tanqueray No.10 combine, Sisters Blush, a fragrant sense of the scents of North East India, with blushing raspberry and herbaceous basil rolled together with Cîroc grape vodka; and Green Outfield, soothing elderflower crushed with the crisp flavors of fresh, cool, cucumber and swizzled with Cîroc and sparkling water.
Mr. Shyamkanu Mahanta, Chief Organiser of Colours of North East said, “We are confident that this initiative would not only create more awareness about North East and its amazing culture, but also bring investment to the region. It is important to educate people outside North East about the region to bring social, political and economic inclusion.”
“Efforts are being made to motivate film makers to explore North East India as a film shooting destination”, he added.
Mr. Ranjit Barthakur, Chairman, Organising Committee, said “We are buoyed by the success of the Colours of North East initiative and hope to be back next year in an even bigger avatar. I would like to thank the people of Mumbai for wholeheartedly supporting this event and bringing the North East to the fore. ”
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