Tinsukia, Jan. 19: Sleepy Nampong, the last village on the eastern front of the country, is abuzz in the run-up to the Pangsau Pass Winter Festival, which starts tomorrow. The three-day festival is being held after four years.
A major attraction for visitors will be the Lake of No Return, considered to be the Indian "Bermuda Triangle". Nestled in the lap of the Himalayas on the Indo-Myanmar border, the lake had intrigued the Allied forces during World War II when many of its aircraft and crew disappeared into its icy depths.
The lake is a 15km drive from Nampong down the historic Stillwell Road.
In the 2008 book, Now the Hell will Start: One Soldier's Flight from the Greatest Manhunt of World War II, about the life of Herman Perry, a US serviceman working on the Ledo Road who fled into the jungle and ended up marrying into the Tangsas, the majority community in Arunachal's Changlang district, author Brendan I. Koerner writes: "The Americans called it the Lake of No Return, on account of all the crashed planes concealed in its depths."
The lake normally remains closed to public except for the 10th, 20th and 30th of every month.
The festival will showcase cultural heritage, traditions, art, music, song, dance, ethnic food, handloom and handicrafts of various communities. "Altogether 30 cultural troupes, including two from Myanmar, will participate in the festival. Ten stalls will be also set up at the venue," S.H. Choudhury, additional deputy commissioner of Jairampur and member-secretary of the festival committee, told The Telegraph.
"Transcending geographical boundaries, the festival will see participation of most of the communities of the Northeast along with artisans from Myanmar. The theme is to revive age-old ties between India and Myanmar," he said.
We are expecting around 75,000 visitors from different parts of the country and Myanmar, he added.
Nampong is around 110km from Assam's Tinsukia.
Choudhury said the opening ceremony will begin from 10am tomorrow. "We are expecting chief minister Pema Khandu and other dignitaries to participate on Day 2 of the festival," he said.
Another member of the organising committee said, "Tourists can revisit history at the World War II cemetery, border bazar, historic Stillwell Road, and the Lake of No Return."
He said the festival, since its inception in 2007, has seen visitors thronging to witness the unique blend of diverse cultures and the age-old lifestyle and traditions of different communities.
In 2013, when the festival was last organised, it brought to light the unique customs and traditions of the secretive Tangsa community.
However, this year the preparations have been hit by demonetisation, he said.
The warm hospitality coupled with the undiscovered, unexplored and the picturesque scenery will leave every visitor spellbound, an organiser said.
