NE folk dance festival to mark Parsuram Mela

Itanagar, Jan 8 (UNI) The famous Parsuram Kund, a pilgrim destination in Arunachal's Lohit district, is all set to welcome tourists on January 14 and 15 next on the occasion of Parsuram Mela.

The Northeast Folk Dance festival, sponsored by Dimapur-based Northeast Zonal Cultural Centre and jointly organised by the state's art and culture department and Lohit district administration, would be the special attraction for this year's mela.

Additional Deputy Commissioner(ADC) of Namsai R K Sharma said Satpal Maharaj of Manab Utthan Samity from Haridwar would offer religious discourse followed by a bhajan in the evening on both days.

Preparations for the famous annual mela, being supervised by the ADC and circle officer of Wakro, are picking momentum and are about to complete by January 10.

Tourists and pilgrims from various parts of the country have already started pouring in and the mela has more or less started at Tezu market. The Parsuram Mela assumes significance not only as a religious affair but also as a launching pad to promote religious tourism in the district to the outside world.

Places like Parsuram Kund, Wakro, Tezu, Walong and Kibithoo could be an important tourist circuit considering the government's effort to open up border trade with neighbouring South East Asian countries.

Legend has it that Sage Parsuram was freed from the sins of matricide after taking a dip in the ''kund'' and the axe stuck to his palm after killing his mother was detached at the holy stream. The kund named after him attract pilgrims from far and wide on the auspicious Makar Sankranti day (January 14) as people believe a dip in the kund washes away all sins.

Despite restricted movement in neighbouring Assam last year following attack on Hindi speaking people, around 40,000 people had taken holy dip in the kund.

UNI UPB LL DS BST1403