GUWAHATI, Dec 20 - Giving much needed fillip to the annual Srimanta Sankaradeva Madhupur Utsav of Cooch Behar in West Bengal, the Assam Government has decided to extend financial and logistical support to the festival in a bid to tap the religious tourism potential.
Madhupur Sattra, which is situated in the neighbouring state, is one of the prominent Vaishnavite pilgrimages and it hosts the festival from December 24 to 26 every year, showcasing Vaishnavite traditions, bhaona, thiya naam, etc., besides promoting the works of saint and social reformer Srimanta Sankaradeva.
The State Government has sanctioned Rs 20 lakh to organise the festival smoothly.
Addressing the media here, State Tourism Director Palash Barooah said that the State Tourism Department is also keen on promoting among tourists the other religious and cultural festivals of Assam like the Raas Utsav of Majuli and Doul Utsav of Barpeta.
�For the Madhupur Utsav, we are also giving the logistical support which includes transportation of bhakats, food and accommodation. The activities will be looked after by the district administration of Dhubri. The ASTC will arrange for the buses for the transportation of devotees from as many as 24 locations of the State,� he added.
Arrangements are also being done for a day of transit stay for the devotees coming from upper Assam.
Former MP Kumar Deepak Das, who is the secretary of the Madhupur Sattra Committee, stated that the government initiative would help in popularising the festival among tourists apart from making it convenient for the devotees to take part in it.
�Every year, nearly 2,000 bhakats from Assam gather at Madhupur for the festival apart from the local participants and onlookers. It is also an occasion for cultural exchange among the people of Assam and West Bengal,� he added.
The members of Madhupur Sattra also demanded an annual grant for the shrine�s development and an initiative to develop the infrastructure in a better way.