Why should you make a stop at the FolkTea Festival in Assam this year?

Besides the renowned Kamakhya Temple and Kaziranga National Park, Assam is famous for its tea valleys. These tea estates are beautiful townships on their own. From the labourers living there to plucking the leaves, manufacturing some of the best quality tea, and living together on the estate through generations form quite a bond. From understanding tea to its evolution to developing local entertainment and cultural performances and more, the tea estates have everything encapsulated in them. The FolkTea Festival in Assam is a gateway to understanding this vivid world of the hills. The 6^th edition of the festival will be held on November 28 and 29. While November 28 is an invite–only / registered event, November 29 is open to the general public and should not be missed.

What awaits you during the FolkTea Festival in Assam this year?

The FolkTea Festival as the name suggests is a unique culmination of the vibrant tea and folk lifestyle of the state.  This year it is being organised by the Nnda Talukdar Foundation at the Hatipoti Tea Estate, Chariali, Assam.  Deemed as India’s only open-air folk festival set against the backdrop of tea gardens, it aims to promote performing arts, games, food and more.

If you are planning to visit, then check out performances by the Hirak Jyoti Sharma Folk Ensemble, a play by Nayan Prasad, musical evening by Maitreyee Patar and Tanmoy Saikia’s music. You can also witness local games by the tea-growing treibes which range from rooster fights to dart games. Apart from being able to taste and carry back a variety of tea, you can also learn about the newer trends in the industry today. The nights are filled with activities like stargazing, sky lantern release, bonfire, and musical jams. Another interesting segment of the Festival is for all the car enthusiasts to participate in a car rally from 9 am to 2 pm leaving from the estate to the Arunachal Pradesh border. This is a registered activity and needs to be reserved.

How to visit: Take a flight to Guwahati and hire a cab to the venue. Take a train to Biswanath Chariali station and hire a local taxi to the venue.

How to book: If you want to attend the invite only / registered event s on November 28, then the packages start from Rs 1500. However for November 29, it is free and open to all. On November 28, there will be a special Founder’s Club Retreat which aims to gather all tea enthusiasts, tea tasters, tea business founders and tourism facilitators.

What else to check out: If you have more time in hand and want to check out some more places then quickly incorporate camping in the tea gardens or explore the North Bank. You can also check out the Kaziranga North Bank safari. The Festival is happy to curate these experiences for you at added expenses.

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