Agartala : Aiming to promote closer ties between northeastern states in India and their neighbouring Southeast Asian countries, a month-long inter-cultural dialogue and festival is being organised, officials said here.

New Delhi-based autonomous trust the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA) in association with North East Zone Cultural Centre (NEZCC) and the state governments is organising the first ever international cultural festival across the northeast region.

The festival that began in Guwahati in Assam on Feb 21 would end on March 12 covering Meghalaya, Tripura, Manipur and Nagaland followed by a four-day symposium-cum-cultural show in New Delhi from March 17-20.

"Artists and performers of various Southeast Asian countries and northeastern states are performing various traditional dances to showcase their country's traditional art and culture," IGNCA northeast coordinator Ananda Chandra Bhagabati told reporters.

Around 150 artists and performers from Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia and eight northeast Indian states are taking part in the festival. Bhagabati, a former vice-chancellor of Arunachal Pradesh Rajiv Gandhi University said: "The unique relationship in cultural-historical experiences of the people of Southeast Asian countries and northeast India has become a subject of genuine importance in the background of the overall drive for cultural, economic, political understanding and unity.

"The IGNCA felt that academics and artists of these regions should collectively revisit their history, culture and economy and look at the commonalities which still persist to a significant extent. To learn and to know each other, such festivals are very much significant," said Bhagabati. A 15-member cultural troupe from Myanmar had also visited India's northeastern region between Nov 28 and Dec 7 last year to showcase their country's traditional art and culture.