Dhemaji: The annual Mechuka adventure festival, which concluded on Saturday, has got a permanent address at Mechuka in West Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh, five years after its inaugural edition.

The permanent festival ground, sanctioned by deputy chief minister Chowna Mein, will have VIP and public gallery, a parking area and modern facilities.

Impressed by the preparations and the turnout, chief minister Pema Khandu, who inaugurated the fifth edition of the festival, laid the foundation stone for the venue on Thursday.

Khandu said Mechuka previously did not have decent accommodation but now has hotels, homestays and government tourist houses because of the festival.

The three-day adventure festival featured various activities like propelled glider and micro-light glider rides, aero-modelling, trap shooting, paragliding, mountain biking, rappelling, river crossing, rafting and trekking, rock climbing and zorbing.

An array of local food, cultural and musical evenings and a fashion show were added attractions. On the inaugural day, the cultural programmes of various tribes of Arunachal Pradesh were showcased. The five communities of Mechuka sub-division - Memba, Adi Bokar, Adi Ramo, Adi Pai Libo and Tagin - mesmerised visitors with their traditional dances.

Festival chairman and Mechuka MLA Pasang Dorjee Sona said the event, which was earlier organised from November 7 to 9, was rescheduled to November 23, 24 and 25 to make it bigger and better.

Lauding the locals for their support, Sona appealed to them to keep supporting the event and make it one of the best adventure festivals of Arunachal Pradesh.

A coffee table book, Mechuka, was also released by Khandu and Mein during the festival.