Nagaon, Jan. 29: Kaliabor, the sleepy but culturally and politically rich sub-division of Assam's Nagaon district, is all set to host the 73rd biennial conference of Asam Sahitya Sabha from Saturday.

The venue - Pandit Atmaram Sarma Memorial Khetra - has been designed to showcase the glory of Kaliabor.

The five-day event will see the inauguration of a book fair and trade fair at 10am on Saturday, unveiling of the Mulagabharu statue at Hatbor at 1pm, last session of the central executive committee of the Sabha from 2pm at Silghat and opening session of the Kaliabor session at 5pm.

President Pranab Mukherjee was scheduled to address the session on February 4 but his programme was cancelled because of unavoidable reasons.

A source in the reception committee said traditional food items of Kaliabor and neighbouring areas would be the main attraction of the conference.

'Around 40,000 visitors coming from different parts of the Northeast will be able to savour a wide variety of food items, including ladu pitha with tea and indigenous fish, at the session.'

Hundreds of local women will sing Sira senehi mur bhasa jononi and 15 other songs during the five-day event.

Kaliabor is 50km from Nagaon and 175km from Guwahati.

The sub-divisional headquarters, Kaliabor, connects three Assam districts - Dhemaji, Lakhimpur and Sonitpur - through Kaliabhumura bridge on the Brahmaputra and is known for its rich history and culture.

Bhupen Hazarika passed most of his time in neighbouring Kuthori during the Eighties. With the presence of about five xatras, it is the main hub of Vaishnavite culture in lower Assam. Two cultural icons of the state - Phani Sarma and Bishnu Rabha - frequently visited Kaliabor.

Three political heavyweights - Tarun Gogoi, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta and Lila Bora - began their political career in Koliabor.

Lila Bora was the first legislator from Kaliabor after the Assembly constituency was separated from Jorhat in 1972. Gogoi represented Kaliabor constituency for four terms till he became the chief minister. Former AGP president and two-time chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta was elected from Kaliabor in 1985.