The 89th Nalbari Raas Mahotsav, which begins on November 7, will be lavishly celebrated this year. Assam cabinet minister Jayanta Mallabaruah, who is also the president of the 89th Nalbari Raas Mahotsav organising committee, has taken special measures to commemorate this 13-day holy festival held on the grounds of the Nalbari Hari Mandir.
According to a press conference, veteran Bollywood actress Hema Malini will grace the holy occasion on November 14th, where Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is also expected to attend.
This year’s Raas Mahotsav will feature a fusion of traditional Idol Raas and performing Raas, which is expected to draw a large crowd. Manipur’s Majuli Raas, Mathura-Vrindavan Raas, Gujrati Dandiya Raas, and Basanta Raas have been invited to perform at the Nalbari Raas Mahotsav.
The festival will take place from the Ganesh Mandir Highway to the Hari Mandir premises, and will include various fairs, mobile theatres, and other commercial activities.
Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah stated at a press conference that a trade fair will be held at Swahid Mukunda Kakati Bus Stand under the auspices of the Trade Promotion Council of Assam. Along with that, the fairs will have display stalls for SHGs and various government departments.
In accordance with Skill Jatra, the Skill Department will set up a special counter where all necessary information about Skill Development will be provided. Similarly, the craftwork of ‘Asomiya Jaapi,’ one of Nalbari’s most important artefacts, will be promoted at these fairs.
Mobile theatres will remain a special attraction, as they have in previous years. The best drama will receive a rupee 1 lakh award, and the best actor and actress will each receive a rupee 25 thousand award.
The Minister also stated that in order to make the festival plastic-free, PHED and JJM would provide special initiatives such as free paper bags. In order to prevent anti-social behaviour, liquor stores will close at 8 a.m instead of 10 A.M.