A Correspondent
Numaligarh: The preparation for the 89th annual conference of the Srimanta Sankardev Sangha is going on in full swing. The annual conference of the Sangha will be held from February 5 to February 8 at world heritage Kaziranga Samannay Kshetra (Kamargaon Dihingia-Mohura Pothar) near Bokakhat in Golaghat district. Thousands of volunteers of the Srimanta Sankardev Sangha and people of Numaligarh, Bokakhat, and Kamargaon are working on the trot for welcoming more than 35 lakhs of devotees in the conference.
More than 200 camps have been already developed for sheltering devotees at the conference site. The huge dining hall is already completed and ready to serve. More than 10,000 people can sit and take food at a time in this huge dining hall. On the other hand, a huge camp has been also developed for sheltering the volunteers or Seva Bahinee members of the Srimanta Sankardev Sangha. Separate campsites have been also developed for accommodating foreign tourists at the conference site.
Hundreds of devotees have already gathered and are practicing rituals on a daily basis in the Naamghar at the conference site. To serve the devotees in the conference, organic farming was also developed at 250 bighas of land. The works of uprooting and stocking of these vegetables have also been nearly completed. Thousands of volunteers of the Srimanta Sankardev Sangha and other people were engaged in the process. The market value of these organic farm products is estimated to be near about 20 lakhs rupees. A temporary huge Naatghar (auditorium) has been also developed at the conference site. Bhaona (a traditional form of entertainment, with religious messages, prevalent; Creation of Srimanta Sankardev) will be showcased to the devotees in this auditorium.
A book fair and other trade fairs will be available at the conference site. Separate office-camps have also been developed for different committees and sub-committees of the Srimanta Sankardev Sangha. Camps-Offices for police and fire services have been developed at the conference site. Golaghat district administration and Bokakhat sub-divisional administration is also seen working on various aspects with coordination with the organizing committee of the Srimanta Sankardev Sangha for smooth conduct of the conference.
The first day of the conference will be on February 5. Books release programme will be held at 1 pm following by other programmes. The Bhaona programs will be started after inauguration of the Naatghar at 4 pm. Meetings of the Seva Bahinee and other sub-committees will be held in the evening.
On the second day, the meeting of the district committees will be held at 8:30 am and will be followed by representatives meeting at 7 in the evening. Cultural programmes will be held in the evening. On the third day, February 7, Bhagawat Bhraman and cultural procession will be started at 10 in the morning. From 11 am, open discussion meeting will be started on the main stage. The meeting will be presided over by Kamalakanta Gogoi, Padadhikar of Srimanta Sankardev Sangha and will be attended by Vice President of India Venkaiah Naidu, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Industrial Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary, PHE Minister Keshab Mahanta and Agriculture Minister & Bokakhat MLA Atul Bora – who is also the working president of the reception committee. On the next day, on February 8, a discussion session will be held at 8:30 in the morning which will be followed by other important programmes and meetings for the rest of the day.
The whole surrounding of the conference site is being decorated with various handicraft arts and flowers. An artificial Kaziranga National Park is also getting developed, which is expected to be a point of attraction for the tourists and devotees at the conference site. The volunteers, people of the Kamargaon, Numaligarh and Bokakhat area are all set and ready to welcome more than 35 lakhs of devotees in the 89th annual conference of Srimanta Sankardev Sangha.