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EAST Sepik province is preparing to host the second "National Garamut Na Mambu Festival" tomorrow ( Sept 4 and 5.)The two days festival which ends on Friday will be held at the old Sepik show grounds near the Japanese Peace Park and Winjammer Beach Hotel.

It is a joint initiative of the National Cultural Commission (NCC) and the East Sepik provincial administration.

NCC executive director Dr Jacob Simet the festival will cost K20,000 to stage and NCC had made a commitment to assist the East Sepik administration with K15,000.

"This event becomes the second nation event, being part of the National Cultural Commission’s initiative to create few major national thematic festivals in the four regions of the country and was part of NCC’s five-year plan," he said.

He said the first of these festivals is the Mask Festival always in East New Britain, Mambu festival is the second to be located in Momase region, Kundu in Southern region and Bilasim skin in Highlands region.

He said the thematic festivals were important events to NCC because they highlight some of the most important culture features and symbols of PNG.

"It is very important that PNG maintain this cultural diversity which we are very well known for," he said.

Meanwhile, the chairman and organizer of the Garamut Na Mambu festival, Sakarai Anton said the preparations were going well so far.

He said the event would involve six confirmed local groups, and other group from Manus, Madang and Morobe had indicated to attend.

Mr Anton said because Mask festival has been running for nine years the masks from East Sepik would take the honour to the festival.

The festival would be hosted at Sepik Showground.

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One of the trademark of the Sepik people is the symbolic "Tambaran Haus" (as pictured) - this is commonly refered to as Men's House.