Imphal, Nov. 17: This year's Sangai Festival will serve a heavy dose of Manipur's rich art and culture in an attempt to attract both domestic as well as foreign tourists.

The state's tourism department is in the final stages of preparation for the 10-day festival, which will kick off on Saturday at Hafta Kangleijung in Palace Gate.

"We have constructed traditional houses belonging to different ethnic tribes of Manipur. Traditional handicrafts, shumang leela (traditional theatre) and foods in addition to rich cultural programmes of Manipur would be showcased," chief secretary O. Nabakishore Singh told reporters today.

Sangai festival is an annual event organised by the state government to promote tourism in Manipur organised in November on the line of Nagaland's Hornbill Festival.

Other attractions of the festival are an art gallery which will showcase works of the state's artists. Nearly 300 stalls would be opened of which 30 will serve visitors with traditional foods.

The state government hopes to attract descendants of World War II heroes who died in Manipur, historians and researchers by exhibiting war remains, including photographs, during the festival.

Manipur was one of the fiercest theatres of World War II where Allied Forces and Japanese soldiers were engaged in a fight to the finish battle.

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's INA soldiers reached up to Moirang in Bishnupur district and hoisted their tricolour on the bank of Loktak lake, 45km in Imphal during World War II.

In addition to the festival, an international polo tournament will be another attraction where teams from the US, the UK, Australia and Germany will participate, he said.

Nabakishore Singh said dignitaries, including ministers and ambassadors of countries like Norway, Bangladesh, Japan, Indonesia, China and Thailand, have confirmed their participation in the festival.

"We are hoping that all these events can bring a large number of tourists during and after the festival. We hope that the dignitaries will spread about the beauty and culture of Manipur when they go back and that cultural exchanges between Manipur and these countries will follow the festival," the official said.

Business will form a major part of the festival to increase ties between India and neighbouring Myanmar.

Chief secretaries of the Northeast will gather here on November 24 to chalk out strategies to improve trade between Myanmar and India.

Manipur and Myanmar officials will also have a conference on cultural heritage of both the countries.

"Manipur and Myanmar's cultural heritage has a lot of similarities," tourism secretary Nidhi Mani Tripathi said.