Haflong: The two-day Jatinga Bird Festival will kick off from Wednesday with a theme, “Conservation and Preservation of Migratory Bird of jatinga”. The festival includes cultural programs, sports, and stalls selling ethnic handloom and tribal cuisines near NH 54E road in Jatinga, 9 km away from dist HQ Haflong.
Unlike other years due to pandemic, the programs will be celebrated with strict COVID guidelines. The festival will start on Wednesday morning with cycling from Haflong to the festival site followed by various activities like Canopy walking to Jatinga waterfall and quiz competition among students at Don Bosco school with topics related to the Jatinga bird phenomenon.
Due to strict government guidelines, only those who have taken either 1st or 2nd dose of COVID vaccines will be allowed to enter the festival site, however, children and people below 18 years will not be allowed to enter as vaccines have not been introduced.
The festival will also host a musical extravaganza where renowned Assamese singer Deeplina Deka is expected to perform in the events apart from local bands and artists. As migratory birds have started to take route in the area, no high-power halogen will be used and the program will be packed up by 6 pm.
The festival is organized by the Jatinga festival committee,2021, Blue Hills Society, and powered by North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council. The celebration was started way back in 2010 to create awareness about protecting migratory birds which flock to the Borail range in winter and to promote tourism.
In September and October, when the sky is dark and foggy weather and wind direction is southwest, birds passing through a “migratory route” get distracted by torches lit by villagers Earlier, these migratory birds were hunted by villagers for their meat. The forest department has now banned such activities and forest personnel has been deployed in the area to give the bird a safe passage.
Jatinga, located at the foothill of Borail mountain and 9km from the Dima Hasao headquarters of Haflong, is inhabited by the Jaintia community and has over 300 households.