Royal couple to be served Assamese cuisine: Gogoi

Guwahati, Apr 10: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Prince William and Kate Middleton will be served Assamese cuisine as the royal couple will pay a two-day visit to the state on the eve of spring festival 'Rongali Bihu', Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said here today.

"We are very happy and honoured that Prince William and his wife will visit the Kaziranga National Park and we have decided to give them a taste of Assamese cuisine and hospitality," the chief minister said.

"Since they are coming during Bihu, pithas (rice cakes) and larus (sweet-meats) will be definitely served, besides other Assamese delicacies," Gogoi added.

The royal couple was scheduled to arrive at Tezpur airport in the evening of April 12 where they will be received by the chief minister and given a traditional welcome. The couple will drive down to the Diphlu River Lodge near the Kaziranga National Park where they will stay the night and attend a programme on ethnic cultural traditions to be presented by local artistes in their honour.

The Duke and Duchess will visit the Kaziranga National Park, famed for the one-horned rhinoceros, the next morning and enjoy a jeep safari inside the Park.

The royal couple are interested to see how communities manage the conflicts that arise when humans and wild animals live in close proximity and will also meet park rangers inside Kaziranga, to discuss how the Park protects its animal populations from poachers as demand in other parts of Asia for rhino horns continues to rise, a release by the British High Comission said.

Meanwhile, the banned ULFA(Independent) in a statement has welcomed the visit of the royal couple and hoped that their visit to Kaziranga may be a "turning-point to save the rhinoceros whose plight in its habitat is a matter of great concern."

PTI