Assam Association, Delhi celebrated Rongali Bihu Festival at the open auditorium of “Samaj Sadan” in Laxmibai Nagar, New Delhi on 20th April, 2003, Sunday. It was reminiscent of the “bihutoli”s of back home, open space, huge crowd of about 750 people of all ages.

Association President Mr. Trailokya Prasad Khaund lit the ceremonial lamp and declared the function open. He was assisted by noted dancer Mrs. Subhalakshmi Baruah Khan, Vice Presidents Mrs. Anu Roychoudhury & Atanu Prasad Baruah, General Secretary Mr. Manoj Kumar Das, Cultural Secretary Mr. Harekrishna Das and Mr. Rabindranath Pathak.

The Association brought out a special issue of their newsletter “Samayik” to mark the occasion. Noted littérateur and former Director General of Police, Assam Shri Mihir Kanta Barooah released the magazine. He was assisted by the editor of the magazine Dr. Jayanti Mala Devi and other members of the editorial board.

The cultural function started with a chorus “Srimoyee Axomir…..”. The troupe was assembled with local artists. The rendering elevated the souls to the levels of latasil bihutoli in Guwahati. Juri Dutta Choudhury, Rim Pathak, Uttara Das, Sangita Das, Roshmi Sarmah, Mallika Sarma Baruah and Maya Deka participated in the chorus.

It was followed by a Bihu Huchori which portrayed the revered auspicious event on the bihu evenings. Huchori was performed in the best possible way to show to the audience the traditions maintained in rural Assam. Deva Prasanna Das, Deep Saikia, Dr. Nilamoni Sarmah, Sankar Bordoloi, Tapan Ligira, Prasanna Nath, Dipen Medhi, Pranjal Phukan and Dinesh Bora took part. The members of the host were blessed for a fruitful, peaceful year by the huchori team. General Secretary and Cultural Secretary took the blessings on behalf of the association.

Mrs. Rim Pathak sang two solo bihu songs to lift the atmosphere through a recipe of old favorites.

It was followed by a bihu performance by local mademoiselles Priyanka Das, Gayatri Deka, Namrata Das, Tanushree Sarmah, Sagarika Saikia, Jhilmil Pathak, Jhila Pathak and Babli Dihingia, showing how traditions of the rich culture of Assam is being passed on to the Gen-next.

It was followed by a Goalporia lokageet by Deepamoni Bhattacharya of JNU.

Ms. Sumi Sarma performed a modern Assamese dance set to classical dance style in the rhythms of “Phulore Melate pakhiye geet gaii….”; it was flowed by a mimicry show by Deva Prasanna Das, who had the audience burst into laughter. Mr. Deva was a member of the famous “Bhaya Mama” group of Assam- most of whom met with a tragic accident a few years back.

Thereafter Ms. Eepsita Hazarika, a NIFT graduate working in a foreign buying house rendered two bihu styled songs. She is an All India Radio accredited artist. A zikir by Mr. Baharul Ali and his team was next. They are students of JNU and despite ongoing exams spared time to perform.

It was followed by bihu dance by JNU students; while the star of the evening Mrs. Juri Dutta Choudhury performed next with two soul lifting melodies.

Penultimate performance was a group Bihu Dance by Rupali Dutta, Sangeeta Das and Preeti Rekha Phukon and male members from the Huchori team.

Finally Mukoli Bihu was performed by the audience and the artists alike.

Mr. Harekrishna Das, the Cultural Secretary looked after the smooth staging of the cultural function, while Dr. Hareswar Deka, took care of the logistics. Shri Atanu Prasad Baruah arranged a Gourmet Bihu thali to match the occasion.

Dr. Anjanta Baruah Das and Ms. Sanjukta Baruah compared the function. It was for the first time that such a great ambience could be created and for a day according to one audience it was like standing in a bihutoli in Assam.