Guwahati: The oldest and most prestigious literary body of Assam and the Assamese language, the Asom Sahitya Sabha will hold its LXXVI session in Narayanpur in the Lakhimpur district from January 31 to February 4.
The birthplace of Srimanta Madahvdeva, a renowned Vaishnavite saint and student of Srimanta Sankardeva who lived in the sixteenth century, Narayanpur, is fully equipped to host the coveted event.
The five-day literary festival will take place at Bor Khamti Pathar in Narayanpur, which has been ceremoniously named Mani-Kanchan Kshetra.
Last time the Asom Sahitya Sabha had its session in the district in 2003 when North Lakhimpur was the host. The organising team has been busy making meticulous preparations for the state’s largest gathering of writers and speakers.
The Narayanpur session of the Asom Sahitya Sabha’s receiving committee reports that preparations are complete with a budget of Rs. 6.69 crores. The state government has allocated Rs. 10 crores under its area development budget for the complete completion of the session at Narayanpur, including work on the major venue’s roads, water supply, electrical connection, etc.
The funding is also intended for long-term development initiatives including beekeeping, bamboo crafts, and other locally profitable ventures. A massive pandal that can accommodate 20,000 people at once has been built on the session’s primary site.
A dining hall with seating for 4,000 people and a parking area for 30,000 vehicles have also been set up in Narayanpur’s Mani-Kanchan Kshetra for that occasion.
The LXXVI Asom Sahitya Sabha Session will be attended by visitors from all over the state, and the Narayanpur Town Committee has also stepped up to welcome them. The local civic authority has decided to paint every public building and structure pink in order to give them a fresh look for the occasion. It will also erect a clock tower and set up contemporary traffic signal lights at road intersections for the Asom Sahitya Sabha.