- By Minti Deka and Dr. Ankita Deka

 Photographs (Courtesy): Gautam Deori and Geeti Das

The Assamese community of greater Twin cities area (Minneapolis-St Paul) celebrated the much awaited Rongali Bihu with fun and festivities on April 14, 2012. The venue for the celebration was the much loved log cabin at Shakopee which has served as the community’s Bihutoli for the last six years. The preparations for the Bihu day were initiated several weeks ahead with weekend get togethers that featured practice sessions for kids and adults, feasting on traditional Assamese foods and singing and dancing to popular Assamese songs. On the day of the Bihu, community members arrived bright and early at the Bihutoli and assumed their respective tasks of organizing the day’s events. The clear blue skies, whispering winds, and soft blades of grass that gleamed in the sunshine set the right tone for the day long celebrations. The hall and stage were aesthetically decorated to reflect the cultural significance of Bihu in the lives of the community members. Purabi organized a small exhibition on Assamese society and culture that displayed works or art, literary pieces, music, artifacts, traditional dress and jewellery. The exhibition both symbolized and reinforced the richness and versatility of a culture that has withstood the ravages of time. The ladies in the community laid out a scrumptious breakfast with all the traditional goodies. Following the big breakfast, the cultural program for the day was inaugurated by a brief welcome speech by Dr. Sanjeev Bordoloi. We transitioned to the cultural events of the day by singing one of Dr. Bhupen Hazarika’s iconic compositions “Aah Aah Ulai Aah”as a Xomobeto Xangeet.

The sounds of this mind stirring melody reverberated through the otherwise serene setting of the Bihutoli. The emcees for the day were Nibir, Riyah and Ashmita and they displayed great energy and enthusiasm as they skillfully introduced items and presenters while keeping the audience engaged.

Atharv, Arhi, Saniyah, Diksha, Devarsh, Annie, Ruhi, Sangeet, Sabreen, Nimisha and Darsh – had a wonderful time performing three of Bhupen Hazarika’s gems. The rendition of the famous compositions “Biswa Bijoy Nojuan”, “Konhua Bon” and “We are in the same boat brother” with their cute actions awed the audience. Geeti and Minti had led a helping hand in teaching them the songs.

Then came the fun and delightful performance of the same group with “Tolou Khura” (Somesh) to the song “Baho’r Murha, Bogorir Gura, eta je asil Burha”, choreographed by Geeti. One of the highlights of the evening was a soul stirring performance by our upcoming stars – Sabriyah (on violin), Nibir (on keyboard) and Asmita (on cello). Among the star performances of the day was Nishan and Sabreen’s dance number that left everyone tapping their feet and cheering for more, Nibir and Samir’s magic show that mesmerized our little ones and elders alike, wonderful Assamese songs by Ayan and melodious keyboard recitals by Nimisha, Sangeet and Ruhi. Right after these wonderful performances by our talented kids it was time to go outside for our “Khel Dhemali”.

The teams were called out with the team captains taking the reins. With a majestic burst of “Rongali” energy we started our first 100 meter race for men, followed by the same for the women and kids. The sack race for the kids was a very fun way of getting them all involved. This was followed by “koni juj” our traditional Bihu game of playing with eggs as one player tries to crack the opponent’s egg! It was time to wrap up our games as the organizers tallied up the points to declare the winning team. Soon after the “Khel Dhemali” session was over, we all came back into the Log Cabin to get refreshments with our traditional Bihu snacks and tea.

 The cultural evening featured brilliant performances of songs, dances and musical rhapsodies. Minti , Pranab, Saroj and Arun created musical magic in the air with their rendition of an eclectic blend of popular songs and Bihu melodies called “Geetor Godhuli” Their soulful music ignited the passion and enthusiasm of the audience as we all hummed and danced alongside Minnesota’s musical troupe. The sports prize distribution ceremony was held shortly afterward, and both adults and children received awards for several sports events held earlier in the day. After the awards ceremony Ashmita, Riyah and Nibir engaged the audience in their presentation of an instrumental melody. The MN ladies group presented a jhumur dance that was also a highlight of the evening. The ladies group composed of Mili , Reema, Geeti, Rashmi, Namita, Sabina, Purabi, Anju and Pinky. The very adorable father-daughter duo Riyah and Sarfaraz Taher presented a V-Tar symphony, with Dr. Bhupen Hazarika’s popular songs. Ashmita Sarma’s graceful Bollywood dance was a delight to watch and was a great hit of the evening. The Oxomiya deka dol presented the Assamese Kolaveri version adding their flavor to the song. The singers were (top row) Pankaj, Gautam, Prantor, Parag, Anjan, Sarfaraz, Parvez, Arun, Sanjeev, (bottom row) Pranab, Bijan, Somesh and Saroj.

 Parvez presented an impromptu rock and roll dance that was as usual a popular item of the evening. His flawless movements and agility in this genre of dancing is a visual treat for the audience. The final item of the evening was a Husori and Mukoli Bihu, and everyone chimed as they could to the beats of the dhol, pepa and gogona. With this our long awaited Rongali Bihu celebrations came to an end and to honor the spirit of togetherness and love for the land of Assam we sang “O mur Apunar Desh” as our closing item. Dinner was served promptly and it featured a wide array of dishes, each delectable that left us hungry for more in the following days. The soft hues of the Spring night was pleasantly laced with the voices of the adults and the laughter of the children. Every year, Rongali Bihu brings back the opportunity for us to celebrate our rich cultural heritage and also provides a platform for us to transmit the same to the next generation. We finally dispersed but not before committing that we would return next year with renewed energy and creativity.