AT Photo
Guwahati, May 13: The spring season brings the festive mood, and the celebration vibe transcends geographical boundaries. To enhance this atmosphere, the Kolkata Assamese Cultural Association (KACA) hosts cross-cultural presentations of art, literature, music, and more. This 16-year-old KACA has already set a benchmark in Bengal by presenting and publishing various socio-literary and cultural activities. This spring season is no different as KACA presented the cultural event "Kolkata Rongali Bihu," coinciding with Bihu celebrations in Kolkata on Sunday at the Madhusudan Mancha.
The evening began with Mukoli Bihu on the foreground of Madhusudan Mancha presented by attendees of the workshop mentored by Bihu Samragyee Jaya Seal Ghosh in April in Kolkata. It is noteworthy that the mainly non-Assamese team performed gracefully, prompting the audience and bystanders to join them, joyfully dancing to the beats of dhol and pepa.
KACA President Khanindra Pathak inaugurated the evening, accompanied on stage by the Chief Guest Prem Anup Sinha, General Manager of State Bank of India.
Other dignitaries present included the mentor of the Bihu Dance Workshop, Bihu Samragyee and actress Jaya Seal Ghosh, Singer Dolly Ghosh, Singer Mithun Dhar, son of Assam and a popular actor of Bengali cinema Rishi Kaushik, actress Sushmita Chatterjee, eminent dance artist Alokananda Roy, and former Chairman of ICCR Goutam Dey. Alongside the dignitaries, Dhruba Jyoti Das and Ritupaban Kotoky were felicitated for their receipt of Doctorate Degrees in the musical instruments Flute and Guitar respectively.
The 13th edition of the yearly trilingual magazine Sristi, published by KACA, was inaugurated by Journalist Snigdhasikha Bora. The mesmerizing evening of Kolkata Rongali Bihu featured performances that kept the audience glued to their seats. Folk singer Ananya Dutta and Bangladeshi artist and researcher of Assamese folk music Ripon Sarkar captivated the stage with their renditions. Jhinjiri Thakuria and her team showcased a splendid dance sequence depicting the music and dance forms of various tribes of Assam. This was followed by Husori performed by the Bihu Team of KACA, comprising students and working professionals staying in Kolkata.
Chief artist of the evening, an artist rooted in modern music Rupam Bhuyan, showered the audience with unplugged versions of his songs and music. The jam-packed Madhusudan Mancha once again bore witness to the colourful and vibrant celebration of Rongali Bihu in Kolkata.
It is worth mentioning that more than 2000 audience members attended the show and left with positive and encouraging feedback for the organizers, logistics, cultural and technical teams, and the support systems behind the event.