Jan. 23: A dance festival at Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra on February 1 will provide a glimpse into the rich cultural heritage of the Deori tribe of Assam.

The Deori Dance Festival-2004 has been organised jointly by the Eastern Regional Cultural Centre under the central government, the state directorate of culture and the Association of Kundigira Art and Culture. A seminar on “the development and preservation of the Deori culture” will also be held on the occasion.

It will be presided over by Nabin Chandra Sharma, former head of the department of folklore, Gauhati University. Folklorists Maheswar Deori from Dibrugarh, Mongol Singh Deori from Sivasagar and Saranand Deori, Indibar Deori, Chandra Singh Deori and Sashi Deori will attend the seminar.

“We want to highlight the various aspects of our rich cultural heritage which is on the verge of death. We want to show our culture to the outside world,” Nakul Chandra Deori of the Association of Kundigira Art and Culture said.

Minister of state for culture Pranati Phukan will inaugurate the festival. The chief guests on the occasion will be minister for welfare of plain tribes and backward classes Bharat Narah, panchayat and rural development minister Ripun Bora and minister of state for planning and development Himanta Biswa Sarma.

The Deori tribe mostly inhabits the districts of Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Sivasagar, Jorhat and Tinsukia and certain other parts of Sonitpur district. The total population of the tribe has been estimated at 12 lakh.

They have their own rich cultural heritage. Dance and music are an integral part of the Deoris. Bisuyo durum (drum), tal (small cymbals), takabojiba (a kind of bamboo split instrument), Deori pepa (a kind of big wind traditional instrument made of buffalo horn) are some of their traditional musical instruments.