Sivasagar, Dec. 31: The New Year heralds good news for tourists with the Sivasagar administration organising the Desang Brahmaputra Festival from January 2-4.

The people of Desangmukh, 12km from Sivasagar town, are gearing up to celebrate the festival at Dr Bhupen Hazarika Samannay Kshetra. Launched in 2006 as Desang Festival, it continued intermittently upto 2012. This year, it has been rechristened the Desang Brahmaputra Festival.

The festival is a tribute to the natural bounty of Desangmukh, a celebration of local art and culture, and an endeavour to portray the fusion of ethnic groups, their culture, cuisine, dance and music.

The confluence of the Desang and the Brahmaputra rivers form a majestic backdrop to the festival. In winter, Desangmukh, with its sunlit silver sand dunes, emerges as a hotspot of eco-tourism. The organisers hope the festival will tap the enormous potential of this place to become one of the most popular tourist destinations of the Northeast.

The festival promises to be fun with cultural programmes, competitions and food stalls. These will include children's programmes, traditional games and sports, boat race and cultural nights.

Participation by cultural troupes from neighbouring states and cross-border cultural exchange, especially with Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland, will also be a part of the three-day mega-event. Several self-help groups are expected to set up stalls.

While creating an environment for healthy entertainment, the organisers hope to promote local culture, entrepreneurs, artisans and professionals.

Ashwini Doley, the secretary of the organising committee, said, 'The festival will begin on Friday with a host of programmes, including performances by troupes from different states of the Northeast. Competitions like beach volleyball, half-marathon, traditional dress pageant and kabaddi will be held.'

Doley said state tourism minister Rockybul Hussain and sericulture, handloom and textiles minister Pranati Phukan would grace the inaugural function.

He said the festival would portray the huge tourism potential of Desangmukh in particular and Sivasagar in general.

Desangmukh was an important port during the days of the British for river stream navigation, through which tea leaves and other raw materials were exported. Considered a 'mini India', it portrays a picture of the unity of people from all walks of life, encompassing every caste, creed and culture.