Hyderabad is set come alive with the music and dance forms of the Northeast states of India with Shilparamam gearing up to host Octave (Northeast Festival).
On Monday afternoon, as dozens of young men and women entered the Night Bazaar area for rehearsals, one got a taste of things in store. Spread across four days, from February 14 to 17, the festival at Shilparamam will be a non-ticketed event.
Folk artistes from Manipur (Dhol Cholom, Pung Cholom, Lai Haraoba); Assam (Rongali Bihu, Bhortal); Tripura (Hojagiri, Sangrai); Nagaland (Khupilili, Roina); Meghalaya (Nongkrem); Arunachal Pradesh (Bardo Chham); Mizoram (Cheraw, Khullam) and Sikkim (Tamang Selo, Yak Chham) will perform at the festival, said the organisers.
While dance and music are one aspect of the festival, artisans from the Northeast will also showcase their textile traditions, Naga shawls, bamboo work, dry flowers and other traditional craft forms. Simultaneously, dishes from the Northeast cuisine will also be on offer between 2 p.m. and 9 p.m., while the cultural events will begin at 6.30 p.m.
