Jorhat, Feb. 10: Way back in 1920, Darbar Chapori, a small island seven km from Kamalabari in Majuli, was host to Lord Stanford’s historic durbar with all the satradhikars of the Vaishnavite monasteries of the area. Eighty-three long years after the event, Darbar Chapori — as the island has come to be known — is set to play host to the Northeast festival.

Organised by the North Eastern Socio Cultural Organisation (Nesco), the aim of the three-day festival, beginning on Saturday, will be “to build public awareness to save Majuli,” said organising committee secretary Bipul Hazarika.

The festival, the second in two months, is scheduled to be attended by all the chief ministers and Governors of the region. “We are trying to make the festival as memorable as Lord Stanford’s durbar,” Hazarika said.

In an effort to match up to the English nobleman’s durbar, the organisers of the festival are making all-out efforts to make it a “grand show”.

The main pandal of the festival will be a boat 400 feet long and 100 feet wide, which can seat 10,000 people.

Two artistes from Majuli, Madan Baruah and Krishna Bora, along with 50 helpers, are working on the pandal for the past three months. The pandal would also have 100 cottages for VIPs and tourists. “Though the cottages are made of bamboo, there will be all facilities for a comfortable stay,” said Hazarika.

An exhibition of ethnic dresses, handicraft and food items of the region would be displayed in over 60 stalls.

The main attraction of the festival would be Bhupen Hazarika, who is expected to perform at the cultural evening on Sunday, where various troupes from the Northeast would participate.

The main function of the festival, however, would be a seminar on the topic “Cultural heritage and protection of Majuli”, to be inaugurated by Arunachal Pradesh Governor Arvind Dave.

Hazarika said the initiative to hold the festival was taken by Rani Narah, MP, who is also president of the organising committee.

“The festival would be a unique one. The people will have more to see than they normally expect at a festival,” said Hazarika.

The island was christened Darbar Chapori (small island) after Lord Stanford’s historic meet. So pleased was the English lord with the reception he received at Darbar Chapori that he awarded the title of “princely abode” to the then satradhikar of Auniati satra, Kamal Chandra Debogoswami.

Airport equipment: Delays and frequent cancellation of flights to and from Dimapur, the commercial hub of Nagaland, could be a thing of the past with the installation of the instrument landing system at Dimapur airport in the next couple of months, reports our Dimapur correspondent.

The equipment, manufactured by Park Air Systems, was ferried in three truckloads on Sunday. The system, comprising two parts — the localiser and the glide part, including distance measuring equipment will be set up at the northern and southern ends of the runway to facilitate safe landing of aircraft during inclement weather and poor visibility. Dimapur is among four airports in the region to be equipped with the facility.