Gangtok, Dec. 24: Hectic preparations are on at Mangan to make Sikkim?s very own Woodstock a grand success.

The Sikkim Music Festival, which is scheduled to kick off on December 29, will have 30 bands from north Bengal, Sikkim and the Northeast taking part in the three-day extravaganza.

Mangan, also known as the large cardamom capital of the world, is rising to prominence on the strength of the annual culture and music festival.

The festival will feature a number of contests in the rock band, boogie woogie and traditional dance categories. A food festival will also be held as part of the event.

The festival is being organised by Sikkim Tourism and Mangan Tourism Development Committee.

Mangan, the North district headquarters, was founded in 1903 by local landlord and explorer Rinzing Namgyal as a ration outpost for British troops during Colonel Younghusband?s incursion into Tibet through Lachen. The town has since then grown into the main business centre for the large cardamom trade. Tourism has also picked up in the past few years.

The town offers a panoramic view of the eastern face of Kangchenjunga. Trekking routes have also been opened recently with Mangan as a transit point. The beautiful Tosar Lake at the base of the Chola Range falls to the east of the town while the foothills of the mighty Kangchenjunga lie to the north and north-west.

Last year, around 20 bands from various parts of the Northeast, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Dharamsala and Sikkim had participated in the music festival which coincided with the town?s centenary celebrations. The festival was a grand success, both with local people and tourists alike, prompting residents to make it an annual event

Pemzang Tenzing, one of the organisers, said the main draw of the music festival was the popular music contest with cash prizes of Rs 50,000, Rs 25,000 and Rs 15,000 for those who win the top three slots.

?We sought entries from established bands from all over the region playing all genres of popular music and have managed to get a very good response,? said Tenzing Said.

Some of the bands that have confirmed their participation include Darjeeling- based Mantra, G-String and Next Band from Shillong, JRS, Reincarnation, Sparsh, XTC, Anthorium from Nagaland and Revival from Nepal.