Dehing Patkai Festival is a once-a-year festival held at Lekhapani in Tinsukia district of Assam. This festival is named after the majestic Patkai Mountain Range the beautiful Dehing River. The Government of Assam organizes this festival. This festival promotes the district to the inland and outland tourists with boundless chances for fun and feast. This also helps the villagers to endorse their artisanship to the tourists.
In December 2002, the former President of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam inaugurated the Dehing Patkai Festival and this was the first year of this festival. The festival incorporates the tribal fairs, tea heritage tours, golfing, adventure sports, and wildlife safari trips. Another attraction of the festival is that it offers a trip to the cemeteries of the Second World War. The Anglo- American forces built these cemeteries in the year 1945-1946. A trip to the Stilwell Road, which was once the passage to the Golden Land of Myanmar enchants the tourists who visit the place. The visitors can choose to go for an elephant safari and take a path into the wildness. Other associate festivals like the food festival, craft fair, and cultural functions are also held during these days for the visitors. The Festival offers a wide range of adventure sports like angling, kayaking and parasailing. Last But not the least, the trips to the Tea Gardens and the Digboi Oil Town and the Oil Field are a part of the festival. The festival offers lots of fun, culture and adventure to visitors who make the trip.
An attractive facet of the Dehing Patkai Festival is that it shows the Assamese tribal culture. This festival becomes a conglomeration platform of the cultures of Bodo Tribe, Sema- Naga Tribe, Kurki Tribes and many other tribes. A visitor can see the Bihu Dance and often hear the "BihuGeets" (Bihu Song) in this gala. The representatives from more than 20 local tribes are normally invited to the festival to exhibit their traditional dance and music forms. In addition, the tribes also display their traditional cuisines and fashion
It`s not all about culture at the Dehing Patkai festival. Adventure activities that add excitement to the festival include boating, trekking, angling, kayaking and parasailing. Nature lovers can go on an elephant safari into the wilderness in the forests of Assam.
The place where this cultural carnival occurs is noted for its natural exquisiteness. Some of sightseeing trips like a sojourn to Margherita and Digboi Oil town is arranged by the Tourism Department. Several fairs and exhibitions are organized during the festival time. These include craft fairs and food festivals. Various cultural programs are also held.
The enchanting beauty and variegated history of the Northeastern part of India prompted the Government of Assam to organise the Dehing Tea Patkai Festival at Lekhapani, in the month of January every year. Tinsukia provides the visitors with unlimited opportunities for fun and feasting.
The Dehing Tea Patkai Festival organises craft mela, food festival, and cultural programme for the visitors. The festival offers wide range of adventure sports on the banks and the scattered islands of the majestic Brahmaputra River, which includes parasailing, angling & kayaking, and water sports in the Brahmaputra.
The nearest airport to reach the place where the festival occurs is Mohanbari, and flights are available from Delhi and Kolkata. Those flying in will have to cover the 125 km to the festival venue by road. The Margherita railway station has good rail connectivity.
