New Delhi, Oct. 26 (PTI): The sixth edition of popular North East festival kick-started here on Friday revealing “a never-before-seen side of the eight states”.
The three-day cultural extravaganza, which offers a mix of fashion, music, dance and culture, started with a Food Walk during the day, which celebrated the varied culinary choices with over 40 food stalls.
The food walk, which made its debut in the annual festival, basically busted the myth that the food habit eight North East states comprised of only meats especially pork and beef. The journey rather highlighted the various herbs, which not only accentuate the taste of their cuisines but also put them in a different league altogether, the organisers said.
Popular chef Sneha Lata Saikia, the brainchild behind the food walk, said the idea struck her last year when Delhiites called for vegetarian dishes too at the food fest.
She said the region’s food is a lot more than “just meat like pork and beef”.
“I won’t deny that non-vegetarian dishes are our specialities but we eat veg too.
“Our cuisine is basically herb-based as our region has the rich source of herbs, lentils and fermented stuff which are anti-cancerous and have other health benefits as well,” she said.
The first evening of the festival saw fashion shows from the region. The fashion styles from the states saw a modern twist without limiting it to Muga silks and mekhela sador but also cocktail gowns, sarees and kurtas.
Fashion choreographer Sukalpa Das said North East is more than handicraft and handlooms when it comes to fashion.
“People only think of mekhla chadors, drum lehengas and such other garments. But this time they are in for surprise. We are using our very own handloom but giving it a modern twist.
“Almost 11 designers have dedicatedly worked on them, making them highly fashionable but at the same time wearable and comfortable,” Das said.
Besides food and fashion, the day one of the cultural fest saw four Delhi- based rock bands Nowherestation, Maram, Strain and Eventide - battle it out to get the best performer award. The evening ended with a musical performance by famous Bollywood singer Papon.
