The annual boat racing festival of Tripura held in the region of Melaghar was flagged off on Monday by Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb in the presence of the state Tourism Minister Pranjit Singha Roy. The festival is organized by the Cultural Affairs and Tourism Department of Tripura. Both men and women, with scores of long snake boats and other smaller crafts, participated in the event. Apart from being a major tourist attraction, Tripura’s Melaghar is known for its annual boat racing festival in the Northeast.
CM Biplab Deb expressed that if culture is combined with work, people become more enthusiastic, making work seem less mechanical. He stated such after watching the excitement of the people at the event.
Jaharlal Das, one of the participants of the winning team said that he has witnessed the boat race festival of Melaghar since the time of his forefather. A visitor, Md Fakrul Islam, said that people from across the country come to watch the competition as it a well-known festival and has turned into a major tourist attraction over the years.
The water carnival witnesses thousands of people spellbound, cheering, laying bets, and encouraging the boatmen to row faster. Boat race is an event that is a part of the local fisherman community ethos and is also a sport that signifies team spirit, integration, and amity among people.
