Guwahati: The 44th Karbi Youth Festival, that will see exhibitions on the traditional attire and food of the Karbi people, a mega fashion show and cultural evening, will be held at Diphu from Thursday to Monday.

The festival is being organised by the Karbi Cultural Society at Diphu, the headquarters of Karbi Anglong district.

President of KCS Chandra Singh Kro said, "We have been organising the Karbi Youth Festival continuously from its inception in 1974 to the 44th edition this year. The various ethnic tribes of Karbi Anglong, like the Tiwa, Mising, Bodo, Dimasa, Nepali, Gorkha, Mantai, Kuki, Paite and others, will showcase their traditions and culture at the festival. Folk dances, folk songs and traditional food of more than 20 tribes inhabiting the district will be exhibited at the 5-day festival starting tomorrow. We are expecting a cultural group from Thailand to give a glimpse of their culture. Numerous foreign tourists have confirmed their participation in the festival".

Chief of Karbi Anglong Autonomous District Council Tuliram Ronghang will inaugurate the festival. Finance and Education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is also expected to participate in the festival as an honoured guest.

"A mega fashion show and cultural evening has been planned for the final day. There will be a traditional round, a hi-fashion or Western round and fusion round. Prominent designers of Assam, including Diplu Hazrika and Bidyut Bikash Bhagawati, will showcase their collections. "Sukalpa Das is the official choreographer of the event and Garima Saikia Garg will attend as the chief guest of the fashion show. The show- stoppers are Barasha Rani Bishaya, Priti Kangana and Ananya Kashyap", said producer of the show Ashim Kumar Das.

A young singer of Nagaon, Sukanya Das, barely 10 years old, will perform at the cultural evening while six-year-old Miss Kids Assam 2017, Apsara Das of Tezpur, will walk the ramp in the fashion show.