- Juri Bhattacharya

Rongali Bihu at the home of Madan and Juri Bhattacharyya in Ames, Iowa on Sunday, April 18 with traditional food and festivities. It was also an occasion to welcome Dr. Pranjal Kalita and his wife Manasi Buzarbaruah who came to Iowa this year. Pranjal is a post-doctral fellow at Iowa State University. Dr. Prabhas Goswami and his wife Uma from Iowa City joined the celebration. Rani Athreya, Ujjal (Juri and Madan’s son), and Pratik Goswami- son of Dr. Dulal and Sandhya Goswami of Guwahati and a first year graduate student at Iowa State University, were the other participants. The sumptuously laid out grand feast of traditional dinner items of Luchi, Bhaji etc including Sira, Akhoi, Xandoh guri,Tilpitha, Malpoapitha and even Gur along with other Indian sweets, set everyone in a nostalgic and festive mood!

Rani’s melt-in-your-mouth Malpoapitha were an instant hit. The day was filled with some serious eating and drinking of Assam tea to the music of Bihugeet, some fantastic bihu dance by Juri and Manasi, drum music by Ujjal and Kori khel (a game of shells) by all. It was a day filled with laughter and springtime exuberance capturing the essence of Rongali Bihu.