[ Amina Nabam ]
Come winter and Anini gears up for the Dibang Winter Fest, a festival celebrating nature’s bounty in the valley. The third edition of the festival is slated to take place from 26 to 27 October at Karu Resort, Anini.
The fest, conceptualised and organised by local boys, began in 2022 with the aim of promoting sustainable tourism and showcasing the Idu Mishmi culture through local cuisine, handloom and handicrafts.
The two-day fest will have a host of activities for people from walks of life and interests. There will be trekking, cycling, rafting for the adventure lovers, village walks, a workshop on local cuisine and igu-tamro (the ancient way of shamanism) for those looking to understand the unique Idu Mishmi culture, a workshop on eco-friendly and sustainable art practises like paper making, jewellery making by the famous House of Macnok, and a session on waste management by AI Green Foundation.
The evenings will see Anini soothed by the melodies of Indian Idol contestant Obom Tangu, fusion band Asthitva, Owl Jam, a dynamic ensemble led by a Mishmi talent Ibi Mepo, Damchin Norbu and many more.
The organisers, Anji Milli, Ego Molo and Madan Milli, are ensuring that the unique biodiversity and natural beauty of Dibang Valley is at the centrestage of the festival. The events and programmes are crafted in a way that tourists will get a holistic experience of Dibang Valley while being part of the festival.
With the main aim of promoting sustainable tourism and reducing plastic waste, the festival venue is being kept plastic-free. The structures inside the venue are crafted with locally available materials like bamboo and pine.
And the third edition comes with a unique way of environmental protection, ie, by planting a tree for every ticket sold in collaboration with the forest department.
At the forefront of this festival is community participation. The festival does not have a permanent venue yet, and every edition has been held at private properties free of cost. This year, most of the homestays in Anini and Roing have collaborated with the festival for providing accommodation to the artists and workshop mentors; likewise, local tour operators and trekking companies have also joined hands to promote various tourism-related activities.
At the festival venue, one can see only local artisans designing in a live show onstage, setting up stalls or carrying out all sorts of construction activities.
The festival was so far running with support from friends and families of the organisers and sponsorships from like-minded individuals. However, this year, the team has received some support from the tourism department and the local MLA, who is also the adviser to the tourism minister.
The team hopes that the tourism department takes it up as a calendar event and adequate funds are provided, so that they can curate a better festival experience for visitors.
Anini is now one of the most-sought-after tourist destinations in the state, and the Dibang Winter Fest acts as a cherry on the top by bringing together all the aspects of Dibang Valley tourism. As the festival progresses in the coming years, the organisers have a challenging task ahead of ensuring that the ethos of the festival do not get diluted and the ecology of this pristine valley is preserved while catering to the growing influx of tourist every year. (The writer is DIPRO, Anini.)
